Trials of the Earth
by Universalshroom
Summary: After meeting a strange person, Cory is thrust into a new world with exciting adventures. This will be my longest fiction ever, and will feature many arcs and complex story lines. I might listen to your input if you review.
1. Life's a Chore

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to read my story. I will be doing this story similar to an anime and there might be crossovers. Cory in the House is near and dear to my heart, and I hope I'm able to charm you into liking it as well. That being said, I don't own Cory in the house, and never will.

-Jay

Cory in the House: Trials of the Earth

It was a relatively normal day in Washington DC, the grass was green on the white house lawn, people were talking, birds were singing. Everything was calm and peaceful. Cory, a black male, was walking down the street toward the white house, without a care in the world. He was thinking about a girl he saw earlier, a mysterious girl with strange hair and blue skin. She had helped him get out of a garbage can he had been thrown into by "the boys." 'Her blue tinted skin was the best thing about her,' thought Cory as he walked along.

Not paying attention, Cory walked right into the road. For the most part, he unintentionally avoided traffic, but then, out of nowhere, a bus swerved into his lane. Cory jumped away, narrowly missing getting hit by the bus and rolled on the pavement, doing a cool (to him) ninja move.

"S-sorry," Cory yelled at the bus driver, who was honking over and over again. Cory Baxter walked away, the driver still honking, and entered the white house garden. The garden was only filled with a few trees, as the president passed a law banning all plants other than trees.

"Ayo, look out, it's da core man!" Chad, Cory's "street" friend, shouted as he entered the garden, "He gunna bring out da dawgs."

Cory tipped his hat at Chad, not knowing what he just said, and entered the house, walking over to his friend, Newt. Newt was a simple man, he acted cool but had never had a girlfriend and was actually afraid of talking to girls. He spent most of his days within the boundaries of his room (room is generous, it's more of a coat closet) thinking about where it went wrong.

"Did you hear, man?" Newt said as Cory walked up.

"No, what do you mean?" Cory replied.

"They replaced your dad with some Italian guy, man!"

"What? What happened to my dad?"

"He's now the head of the garbage crew, they couldn't fire him because he had a contract, man"

Cory sighed and angrily walked away, leaving Newt in his dust, crying for mercy for his horrible life. Cory walked right into the kitchen, pushing through the many people dressed as chefs and walked up the manager, Luigi Mussolini.

"Ah… Itsa you, look everybody, it is the old chief's son, Cerry!" Luigi smiled upon him, holding his fingers in an 'ok' sign.

"I don't want to hear it, pasta boy, get my dad back."

"Ayy, but it is not so simple yes?, I tell you, many times I tell president, 'this job is not for my taking,' but he tell me to go back to work, so I work, I work hard and all I can say is I am sorry, no?"

"I didn't understand a word you just said," Cory said, starting to cry, "I-I'm going!"

Luigi turned to his intern, wife, business partner, and former boss at the olive oil rig back in the Mediterranean, "I tell you, these kids in America are all raiseda in terrebull homes, no self respect. We shoulda stayed in Italia!"

Cory ran out the door and into the night, blindly running through the streets while sobbing. The streets were empty, a curfew had been made for the town of Washington DC by the president. Cory was breaking the law. He sat on a bench, contemplating his terrible existence. He heard a loud noise from an alleyway nearby. Out of the darkness came his street friends, "the boys," among them was Chad. They came up to Cory and taunted him, calling him a stupid crybaby.

"You a cry baby, loosa"

"You neva'll hold a job"

"You be running out of school, Core!"

"S-stop you c-cyber bullies!" Cory cried.

They stopped as a blue blur slashed their pinky fingers, cutting all of them in two. Simultaneously, "the boys" cried out as their pinkies fell off. Quickly they ran away, only to be replaced by a familiar blue faced girl with weird hair.

"Wow, thanks," Cory said as he stared at her.

"Hehe, no problem, chosen one," the girl smiled at him, not in a romantic way because no one likes Cory in that way, but in a nice way.

"W-what do you mean by that?"

"You have been chosen to liberate this world, Cory."

"By who?" Cory scratched his head.

"The stars have spoken, they say: Upon the moon the fire burns, but fear not don't empty urns, the hero Cory reigns in DC, go to him, he'll set man free."

"Wow, that's nice poetry, you're really good at that"

"Hehe, don't flirt with me you creep."

"Sorry," Cory blushed.

"I am here to help you with your quest, but I must warn y-... oh um... nevermind…"

"Alright, I'll meet you here tomorrow to go over things, bye... uh, what's your name?"

"Oh yes, that would be Xerath."

"Ok, bye Xerath!" Cory picked up the bits of pinky left over on the ground and ran off back to the white house, occasionally skipping.

Xerath opened a hologram and began speaking in hushed tones with her commander, Xerath.

"Xerath, report!" Xerath yelled at Xerath.

"I have made contact with the boy, he knows that he is the chosen one."

"Good, does he know the sacrifice he must make?"

"No, I- I hesitated to tell him that…"

"He must know, don't put it off, Xerath"

"Yes sir, Xerath, I'm sorry," Xerath said, saluting.

"At ease, report next week, I have Russian soap operas to catch up with."

"Yes sir," she closed her hologram, looking toward the moon, her green hair flowing through the wind, "the sacrifice… I'm sorry Cory, but I can't tell you…"


	2. Light and Darkness

An hour had passed since his encounter with 'the boys'. Darkness set upon the city of Washington DC as Cory slowly made his way back home. Soon, only the light from the street lamps lit his way, making navigation difficult. The moon shone a spotlight through the darkness on the White House, making the path for young Cory to move on. He stuffed the pinkies in his pocket and pulled up his hood, disguising himself. The darkness around him threatened him with the unknown, making it impossible for him to know what is out there, in the place he can't see.

Suddenly, Cory heard a noise, a loud noise. This noise wasn't like another noise he heard, in fact, this noise was completely different from any noise he had ever heard. Cory fell to his knees in fear, and began coughing violently. His mind was being invaded by an unknown source. The noise grew louder, and Cory quickly turned to the White house, just as it faded before his eyes, only to find himself inside an abandoned building. He was still on the ground in the same position as before. He could sense something behind him. A benevolent entity he had never heard of before.

Still coughing, Cory reached up to his mouth, only to find his nose was bleeding. Cory closed his eyes and slowly turned around. Then, he opened them.

A rush of fear fell over him, giving him an intense headache. Cory fell down to the ground of the abandoned building, coughing and trying to stop his nosebleed. ' _Give me the fingers, child,_ ' a voice in his head said. Cory slowly reached for his back pocket and removed the fingers, dropping them on the floor in front of the man. The man stared down at him, making his headache worse.

Cory regained some courage, "W-who are…. Y-you?" he shouted as his cough became slightly better. At that, the entity left, leaving but a single finger behind. Cory began to recover and grabbed the finger, stashing it in his pocket, and slowly getting up. His head hurt more than anything he had ever experienced. Cory got up from the ground and looked around. He was in a small room, half overgrown with weeds and other plants. The roof had half collapsed, and beams were lying all over the place. ' _I have to get out of here,'_ Cory thought, exiting the room.

As he walked through the halls of the abandoned building, he began hearing footsteps from below. It was hard to see, as it was night and he didn't have a flashlight. He followed the hallways until he found stairs, he went down to the first floor, and the footstep sounds became louder. Cory cautiously walked through the rooms of the first floor, seeing a flashlight up ahead. As he came closer, Cory could make out the distinct shape of the Italian chef who had taken his father's job. Cory decided to trail him, and see what he could discover about the man.

' _This is just like that one sonic level where you have to use stealth,'_ Cory thought, referring to his fangame: "Metal Sonic Gear." Cory stayed back exactly 11 feet from Luigi, struggling to keep quiet, as Cory was fat. Luigi made his way through the building, shining his light into every room. Then, he stopped and turned around. Cory quickly jumped into a side room, tripping and falling. The floor cracked and Cory fell through the floor into the basement.

Luigi ran to the room and shone his light down into the hole Cory had created, but couldn't see anything below. Cory quickly ran through the pitch black basement, trying to find a way out. Luigi jumped down into the hole and followed Cory's footsteps through the concrete tunnels. Cory began to sprint as he saw Luigi's flashlight behind him. He found a room and shut the door behind him, trying to hide. Luigi walked right past the door, searching up ahead.

The room Cory had entered was fully lighted, and as he looked around he began to realize he had discovered one of the greatest things in human history. Cory looked around at the many shelves and drawers and began sifting through the books, comics, and games held in this secret vault. The entire room was littered with Sonic merchandise. Everything was sonic the hedgehog. Cory began to scream with joy as he grabbed the comics.

Luigi burst through the door, holding out a spatula toward Cory, "Stopa right there you black suited demon!" Luigi's face became more relaxed as he saw it was only Cory. "Craig, I tell you, I was half scared you were something else, come on, youa need to get home now."

"W-what is this place?"

"This is my Sonic hideout. Iya come here every night to make sure itsa alright. You see, there's a man outa there after my comics."

"I ran into a man earlier that took my fingers, he also gave me a headache and a nosebleed," Cory mumbled.

"Oha no, hea took your fingers? He wants to steala my comics!"

"He didn't look like the type who wants to steal comics," Cory's headache began to return as the lights went out. Luigi began to scream. The door opened and he shone his flashlight at the doorway, revealing the man from before in full details. He wasn't quite human, it was slenderman. ' _I am not here for silly comics, I am here for blood._ '

Luigi pulled out his spatula, "h-here sir, youa can have the boy!" He pushed Cory forward as they both fell to the ground in mental pain. The entity was strong, maybe unbeatable. Cory reached into his pocket and pulled out his last finger, chucking it at the monster. The ringing noise began to get louder, and Luigi began screaming again. Then it stopped and everything was fine.

"You're one brave boy, youa want to leave this place, no?" the chef got up, rubbing his head. They began walking out of the abandoned building and back to Washington DC. As they went, Luigi gave Cory one of his comics, which brought another scream from Cory.

"What was that thing?" the boy asked as he walked through the streets, the sun beginning to rise.

"Thata was just one of those so called Frenchies," replied the chef.

"THAT was a French person? Wow."

"Yes, didn't youa see the suit, thata is the mark of a Frenchie."

They walked to the white house and through the garden, retelling the tale of the Frenchman and how they fought it. Cory began telling everyone the loch ness monster was there as well. The president sent a firing squad to burn down the old building, stopping the creature once and for all. Cory warned him that the monster was outside of the building as well, but the president just wanted to burn something.

"You see, Cory. Soon you'll understand. This is the final stretch. The last dojo. There's a man out there being resurrected who wished to destroy the world. I can't give any details, but you seem to be the chosen one or something. I want to show you something." The president got up from his chair and spun the globe, pointing to Japan.

His finger slowly pushed down on the country, pressing it into the globe. It was a button! The oval office windows turned black and the American flags turned to Japanese ones. The entire room lit up from lanterns, showing the paintings had changed to traditional Japanese ones. One of the walls opened up, revealing a secret room. As they entered the room, a cold wind blew through Cory's hair. Cory covered his eyes from the breeze, and opened them to find himself in a long room with many pillars and columns. On the walls were paintings of demons.

"Welcome Cory, to your destiny." said Mr. president. Cory began walking towards the beacon of light at the end of the tunnel, staring in awe. Japanese symbols appears on the columns as he passed them, lighting up with a fiery blue glow. As the pedestal came closer, the beacon of light began to fade and Cory could make out what was at the end. He walked past the pedestal, saving what was on it for later, and looked at a mural on the wall.

The mural depicted millions of demons, led by one man who appeared to have a mustache drawn on by crayon. The demons were only stopped by one man- a man he recognized as himself. Cory, in the mural, was holding a sword of pure light, not just any sword though, a katana, the traditional Japanese sword. On his head was a bandana, a symbol of his power.

Cory turned around, looking at the pedestal. In it was the Katana of light. A sword Cory only knew to be legend. The sword shone with light, brightening the entire room, shining it's light across the pedestal, making the pillars brighter with its light, lighting the entire stage, making Cory close his eyes from the bright light. Cory grabbed the hilt of the sword and lifted it, dropping it in the process. He wasn't strong enough.

"It's ok, Cory, we never expected you to lift it right away. You must train first," the president said, walking toward Cory.

"Can I get answers first?"

"Yes, here is a monologue recording of me explaining everything," the president pulled out a cassette tape and pressed the play button.

"The world is different now. Japan has fallen, and the United States has taken over for them in terms of culture. Through the power of the internet, we make people learn Japanese through Rosetta stone and celebrate Japanese culture, effectively making Japan live on after death. In an expedition to the abandoned country of Japan, we discovered a large room housing a katana of pure light and murals depicting a hero defeating waves of monsters. One of the murals seems to depict (Static). Another mural has needed (Static) because it contained (Static). I know now what I must do. I must (Static). As soon as I find the hero, I must take him and teach him to fight with that light katana. I believe I know who he is, though, so I have given his father a job at my house, even if he's a bad chef. Soon I will replace him with a better one, though his son must stay. His son is the hero." The president pressed the pause button.

"You are the chosen one, Cory. Also I accidentally ripped the tape, so it kind of removed some stuff, sorry." The president put away his recorder and pointed to Cory, "welcome to your new life, as a samurai, the last samurai, Cory 'in the house' Baxter."

Gongs rung through the room, filling it with a mysterious atmosphere as Cory stared in wonder at the president. The pillars began to collapse as the president grabbed the sword.

"Hurry, we must escape from this before we both die," the president shouted, dodging falling stones. They ran for the exit, jumping over fallen pillars and ducking under debris. All of a sudden a boulder fell from the ceiling and began chasing them. They sprinted toward the exit, the president carrying the sword as it was too heavy for young Cory. The exit began to close, slowly moving down.

"Quickly, slide under the door Cory!"

Cory went into a sliding position, but was too fat to move. The president grabbed him and pulled him under the door. Sealing it forever. The oval office turned back to normal, the flags became American again.

"Some trip, eh Cory?" He smiled at Cory, going back to his chair. Cory nodded and began to leave, dragging his katana behind him. The president took a crayon out of his pocket and put it back into his drawer. This was the beginning of Cory's quest to defeat the ultimate evil.

Over in Germany, cultists were resurrecting a human lost to time. With new technology they were able to make him a new body, he looked almost real. With one final switch of a lever, the man sprang to life, reanimated finally by the cultists. They had brought back the dead.


	3. Cory tries to get girls

The sun shone brightly through the small hole in Cory's broom closet room. The beams of light landed on his eyelids, forcing him awake. Cory mumbled as he sat up in bed. His room was small, about 5 feet by 5 feet. He had a small mattress on the floor with a single blue blanket and a small pillow he found on the street. Next to his bed sat a shelving unit, on it were his comic he had gotten from Luigi, a couple of rations of bread, and his newly acquired katana of light. To get it onto that shelf, Cory needed to get Newt, who was surprisingly not weak, to lift it.

That proved a bad idea, though, as the sword burned a hole in both of Newt's hands. He was left with one inch in diameter holes in the center of each of his palms. After a bit of surgery, Newt put magnifying glasses into the holes, making his life a little bit better. He often uses his hands now to read and look closely at contracts.

Today was the day Cory was supposed to start his training, but he had decided not to start on this day. Today he was going to creep on girls and see if they wanted to be with him, but first he needed motivation to get up.

A familiar face appeared in his doorway at that time: Newt! He walked into the closet, doing his normal strut walk, and hit his head on the ceiling. He held up his hands to his eyes, looking at Cory through his magnifying glasses.

"Hey, man," he simply said.

"Hey Newt, I need to get up so I can creep on some girls, you in?"

"Oh yeah, man! I love doing that. Who knows? Maybe we'll be lucky today."

"Of course we will, you've got those cool hand implants!"

Cory slowly got out of bed and walked out of his room, out into the hallway of the white house. He followed Newt to the kitchen, where they sat down for their daily meal. Today they were serving bread crust, a classic white house breakfast. There was a hierarchy system in the white house- people who were working had the good food, and everyone else got bread crust. Newt devoured his crust, savoring the taste, Cory merely stared at it, wishing for something more.

As they finished their meal, Cory got a grand old idea for what they could do: go to the mall and look in the food court. All the best girls went to the food court, always with their boyfriends, but still. If one of them even glanced at Cory or Newt, Cory knew that one day they would be married. Last week, Cory actually caught the eye of a real cute girl, who in turn pepper sprayed Cory. It was love at first sight.

They left the white house and began thinking about ways to get there. There were three options: bikes, the bus, or motorized scooters. Obviously they chose motorized scooters as they could ride those inside the mall (not legally, but the mall cops were too slow for them). They grabbed their scooters out of the bushes and began to ride to the mall. On the way, Cory almost got hit by a bus, but he survived due to ninja scooter skills. The boys rode through the sliding glass doors and went up the elevator to the food court.

They chose a perfect spot: out of all walkways, yet still visible from everywhere in the food court. It was also shaded, so they weren't in a spotlight. The food court was a large circular room with many restaurants around the edges. Today, many girls were walking around and hanging out in the court.

"See anyone you like, man?" Newt asked Cory as he looked around through his hands.

"Not yet… wait, yes I do!" Cory said as he pointed toward a girl across the food court, she was tall with very dark skin, Cory's ideal woman.

"Why don't you go talk to her, man?"

"Uh… maybe I will…" Cory sighed and stared at her.

"You'll never get anyone with that attitude, come on, what are you? A shrimp, man?"

"NO I am not a shrimp! I'll do it," the fat, short protagonist walked over to the girl, looking up to her.

"Uh, hey I n-noticed you from over there and uh you're cool," Cory stated, mumbling.

"And you are?"

"Oh, I'm Cory, Cory in the house."

"In the house?"

"Oh no, s-sorry. Cory Baxter…"

"Oh ok, well Cory Baxter, come back when you're 6'2", you're way too short for any girl."

"W-what? B-but that one guy told me to just be myself…"

"Haha! You believed someone who said that? Is it that loser over there with the holes in his hands?" They both looked at Newt, who gave a thumbs up to Cory.

"N-no!" Cory ran away from the girl, back to Newt.

"So did you get her, man?"

"No, she said I'm too short…"

"Nah man, you just weren't being yourself. It's what they want, man"

"Is that what you do?"

"Yeah man."

"That's why isn't it working. How do I get taller?"

"I saw this ad on a website for pills that make you taller, man."

"Can you see where they're located?"

"Yeah, man, just give me a second." Newt pulled a large laptop out of his backpack and began searching, "ah here it is, growth pills. It says doctors hate them, looks like they really work. They are sold behind the mall in a shopping cart in the creek, man."

"Come on, let's go then." Cory grabbed his scooter and rode off down the stairs, closely followed by Newt. Suddenly, sirens sounded all around them, Mall cops on segways began to follow the crew, catching up to them.

"We need to hurry, Cory man"

"I know, let's take this into overdrive!" He flipped a switch on the controls and began speeding off, only to be stopped by mall cops covering the door.

"They've got us surrounded, man," Newt screamed as they began closing in, their mouths foaming with delight as they thought of their next victims going to mall jail for 20 minutes. A distant rumbling shook the ground as something blue approached. It was moving at an ultra high speed, so fast that not even a dog could run as fast as it. The blue thing ran around and took out the mall cops one by one, knocking them off their segways and ruining their uniforms.

"Don't call anybody," It said as it stopped attacking, landing in front of the boys. It was a blue hedgehog that looked similar to sonic, but it was wearing a medallion. He stepped towards Newt and Cory, smirking awkwardly, "Hey, I'm Chris."

He touched his medallion and began to transform into a human. He was short, a little bit overweight, and was wearing a striped red shirt. He pulled out a katana, waved it around, and then put it back in his belt, cutting another hole in his pants.

"I'm here to teach you the art of Japanese sword-fighting." He stared at Cory, still wearing his stupid smile.

"Ah, you're my _sensei_? Well I'm not ready for this yet, we're going to get growth pills right now so we can get taller and get girlfriends." Cory explained.

"Ok, can I come? I really want a boyfriend- free girl."

"How old are you?"

"35."

"Ok, I don't see a problem, then."

They walked out the door and towards the creek, looking around for a shopping cart. Dawn was fast approaching, their shadows moved along the pavement like long, fluid brushstrokes. The autumn leaves blew through the wind as Cory looked toward the east, his long hair blowing along with them. Finally, they reached the shopping cart where they found a man who only spoke Portuguese. He told them in broken English that the pills will grow them.

"You grow when drink them." He said, "they grown you"

"We'll take them, then," Cory shouted, excited.

"You want? I sell 600 dolls."

The group huddled up, seeing if it was worth that much.

"I really really want those pills," Cory whined.

"Yeah, we all do, man." Newt took out his wallet and emptied it, 1000 dollars.

"I have a couple of dollars from selling useless junk online," Chris said, taking out 100 dollars.

Cory pulled out his wallet, only to find a single dollar.

20 minutes later they were sitting on the bank of the creek with three pills, the Portuguese man moaning in pain behind them.

"Are you ready to get a girlfriend, boys?" Cory asked, excited.

They all took the pills and swallowed them. They began to pace around, waiting for results.

"Maybe it isn't instant, man," Newt reassured them.

They waited for 30 minutes with no results, Cory began to worry that they'd been cheated, even if they HAD cheated the man who sold the pills. He walked toward the river, looking down at the bright green water. It looked good. He reached his hands down and cupped the water, but it instantly turned to dust. ' _It must be really humid out,'_ Cory thought as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, only to find that his sleeve was made out of steel wool, scraping his face up.

Cory walked away from the creek to a nearby oasis, starving for water in the desert heat. He jumped into the water, feeling the natural chemicals of the oasis fill his bones. To his right was the president, who was shouting at him words that he didn't understand. Cory smiled and waved at him, closing his eyes and enjoying the water. He reached down and grabbed a handful of water, bringing it to his mouth and drinking it. It had chunks of something in it, but other than that it was great.

Two men stepped toward him. They both had boar heads and large muskets. They began yelling at Cory and shouting at him. Angrily speaking to him and talking to him in large voices. Suddenly, everything went black and only a loud ring could be heard by Cory Baxter.

He was in a small room with a pool table in the center, around the room were many objects, and even some people. Cory struggled to walk, and began to drift toward one of the people. He tried to change his route but it was automatic, then he realized this was a dream. As soon as he realized this, everything became clear. The room lost it's fuzzy hue and he could move freely again. One object seemed to stick out more than the rest, a golden statue of some strange being with large arms, but short legs. Cory reached out and grabbed it, only for everything to disappear and the loud ringing noise to come back. ' _I've got to wake up, I have to wake up'_ Cory thought as he tried to escape. Finally he woke up, finding himself in a prison cell with Newt and Chris, who were lying on the ground unconscious.

Later that day, the president bailed them out and showed them the footage of Cory walking to the creek and grabbing sand, then dropping it hastily,grabbing a piece of metal and scraping it across his face. Cory then walked over to a highly polluted part of the creek and began drinking the water, tiny maggots wiggling between his fingers as he drank. Cory had to get his stomach pumped later that day, and stitches were placed in his face, giving him a cool scar.

"Why did you steal pills from a shifty looking figure, boys?" the president asked as they walked home from the hospital.

"We wanted to grow taller so we could get girls." Cory replied, mumbling through the stitches.

The president burst out laughing at the thought of them ever getting girls, "haha, remember boys, only do drugs when there's no cops around."

They laughed as they walked away, the president carrying the remaining pills of the Portuguese man, who was nowt labeled a domestic terrorist and sent over to a torture camp. As he was hauled away, he shouted, "I mean they grow mind, no height. Silly Americans!"


	4. The events surrounding his training

The sun started to rise on the horizon as Cory and Chris walked through a field of tall grass. Chris held a walking stick as he led Cory along to their destination: the training grounds. The sky turned tangerine colored as the mountains were silhouetted over the sun. The autumn trees dropping their multicolored leaves, only for them to be picked up by the wind and brought away to infinity.

The two figures, both hunched over with backpacks, walked over to a small clearing, this was the training ground. Handmade in the shape of sonic's head, the clearing featured a few logs and some sticks, perfect for katana training.

"So, you wish to learn the arcane art of katana wielding?" Chris shouted over the wind, his greasy hair blowing to the left. Cory took out a bandana, put it on, and let his long hair down. Ever since he met the blue skinned girl, he hadn't cut his hair. Cory's hair grew about an inch a day, so it was easy for him to have long hair fast.

"Yes, sensei." Cory bowed, grabbing a stick. Chris grabbed another one of the sticks and stood in a ready position.

"Now, you must feel the katana in your hand, you must become your katana…"

Cory began running his hands along the stick, feeling it carefully. His delicate hands running over every feature, every crack, every imperfection. Cory began to understand. The katana was the only thing that stood between him and death, it was his guardian angel. He must become the katana in order to fight as one with the katana, his protection.

Cory opened his eyes and stared Chris directly in the eyes, "I'm ready."

Chris swung his stick low, bringing it upwards toward Cory's stomach. In one swift move, Cory jumped out of the way and swung his stick toward the fat man's shoulder, only to be met with a quick block by Chris, who expertly moved his stick out of the swing into a counter, pushing Cory back with the block. Cory rolled and swung at Chris's legs, barely missing due to a jump maneuver. Chris swung his stick down upon Cory, who was still on the ground, and hit him on the shoulder.

"That's it, you're dead now." Chris shouldered his stick, "try again."

Cory stood up and grabbed his stick and standing in a ready position. The two males stood ready, waiting for the other to deliver the first move. Chris suddenly jumped to the side (it was more of a clumsy dive, he's fat) and swung his stick toward Cory's side. Cory dodged and jumped back 10 feet, holding his stick near his face and staring at the other man. Cory ran toward Chris, his stick ready, and swung at him, but Chris blocked. They rapidly began to duel, swinging their sticks, only to be met with a block from the other. Cory began to see it: he knew now that they were equals.

Chris stared in amazement as he jumped back from the fury of swings, "not bad, but you are not nearly trained. Get ready."

Chris jumped at Cory, stick held above his head, and swung down on him. Cory blocked and moved to the left, swinging his stick around and hitting Chris's back. Chris smiled, "now you're ready, I have one more test though."

Chris took Cory over a small hill, where there were people standing around a plane. "Infiltrate the plane, and survive."

Cory ran toward the plane, determined to become a katana wielder. He hid behind one of the wheels, listening into the conversation.

"...would I want them?" said the first man, who held his hands on his belt in the shape of hooks.

"They were trying to grab your prize, they work for the mercenary, the masked man…"

"Bane?" the other man nodded and they began to load in the hostages. Cory stealthily ran into the plane, hiding in the back, behind a seat. The first man entered the plane and they began to fly. The mountains outside zipped past them as they reached high speeds.

"The flight plan I just filed with the agency lists me, my men, doctor Pavel here but only one of you." the man moved to the plane door, a crazed look in his eyes, and shouted, "first one to talk gets to stay in my aircraft. Cory looked away, not listening to the rest of the conversation, and tried to find a parachute. Looking outside, he noticed another plane flying nearby, a bigger plane. A few men jumped out the plane and drifted toward their plane.

The first man who talked began yelling at a hostage, saying he was in charge. The plane began to rumble as a man with a mask stood up and began punching people. Cory ran to the front, confronting the man.

"Ah, who do we have here?" Bane said, staring into Cory's soul. Cory glanced over at the first man, a CIA agent, who told him mentally to end this terrorist. Cory jumped up and took Bane's mask off, throwing it out the window. Bane jumped after it, making the rest of the movie non canon, the dark knight never had to rise. The enemy agents who worked for Bane shook hands with the CIA agents, getting over their small differences and the plane was once again peaceful.

But the plane was heading to San Francisco, a place Cory wasn't allowed. Cory needed to get off the plane quick! He ran to the pilot's seat and moved the lever so the plane would crash. Cory then ran back to get a parachute, noticing that there weren't any! He ran to the back of the plane and opened the cargo hold, making all of the cargo fall out. He jumped onto one of the cargo crates and rode it out of the plane, holding on for dear life as the plane crashed into the mountain.

The crates landed in a field, where Chris waited patiently for Cory's successful mission. Cory landed, only to find the crate he was in held Sonic action figures. Both Chris and Cory decided to take them all. CIA stumbled out of one of the crates, smiling awkwardly as he began fell on the ground, unconscious.

The two men dragged CIA along, bringing him to the helicopter they had found. Cory, still holding Bane's mask, was labeled a national hero for bringing down the masked terrorist, though only by CIA, who didn't have any authority over anything.

Back at the white house, Cory proudly placed the mask next to his Sonic comic. He knew now that he was the chosen one, he was the only one who could defeat whatever villain was out there. Cory glanced at his katana, reaching out to grab it, he still couldn't lift it. He was too weak. Cory decided to go down to the weight room to train, but the president stopped him and told him he could never get any stronger due to his terrible genetics.

The president took Cory down to the basement, the laboratory. Scientists gave Cory a glove that made him artificially stronger. Cory ran back to his room and grabbed his katana, wielding it for the first time. What would come next? Only satan knows.


	5. The Iowa episode

Cory woke up with a start, feeling as if this was going to be a very bad day. He got out of bed and sheathed his katana, already wearing his clothing. He walked out of the closet and ran right into the president, who, as usual, was drinking absinthe.

"Cory, what did I say about looking where you are going?!"

"Nothing, you've never said anything about that to me…" Cory covered his face in shame.

"Well, you should know by now, you're like 12." With that, the president stalked off to some unknown place, drinking the green liquid lustfully.

Cory decided that today was going to be a normal day, nothing weird was going to happen. He ate his bread rations and walked outside, taking a deep breath and enjoying the fall breeze. His katana glowed in the autumn light, reflecting the multicolored leaves of the white house garden. Cory then began walking down the white house sidewalk, unknowingly walking right into a trap.

A bus slowly approached, stopping right in front of Cory. The door opened and the bus driver jumped out.

"Hey, you're that guy who almost hit me!" Cory shouted, recoiling in horror.

"That's right, and I think it's about time you learned a lesson, eh?" the driver exploded, exposing his Canadian accent.

He grabbed Cory and threw him on the bus, driving away at an insanely fast speed. 20 hours later, Cory was violently thrown out of the bus in a small field next to a small town in the middle of Iowa. The bus driver laughed and drove away, leaving Cory alone in a state full of corn.

He walked to the town, realizing he may need to spend the rest of his life here. Soon enough, he found someone who would take him in: an old lady who lived with her 30 year old grandson, or more accurately a 30 year old man living with his grandmother. The house was small, but Cory was used to small spaces and didn't mind.

"As long as you don't mess with my computer or interrupt my chat-rooms, you can stay, but I won't like it," Tim, the 30 year old son, said in a high pitched voice, adjusting his glasses. He then walked over to his computer and began chatting once again.

"You're gonna have to attend school if you wanna live here," the grandma said, "unless you wanna be one of those hooligans who ride quads in the dunes."

Not knowing what she was talking about, Cory walked to his new room, which was bigger than the one he had at the white house. All it contained was a bed, a bookshelf, and a small notebook, which had a pencil in it. Noticing it was a drawing book, Cory took it and began drawing Japanese symbols and warriors in the blank pages, making himself a new hobby in the process.

Eventually, Cory got hungry and moved out of his room to the kitchen, where he grabbed a quesadilla (kay- sah- dil- la). He could hear Tim quietly talking to himself while he typed at his computer, talking to people he would never meet through a chat room.

"What exactly are you doing?' Cory asked, having never seen a computer before.

"If you must know, Cory, I'm talking to girls through the internet, it's getting pretty serious."

"Oh, lucky. I can't get girls because I'm too short…"

Letting out a nasally snicker, Tim turned and adjusted his glasses, "That's a myth, if you want girls you just gotta be yourself." He then turned back to his computer, leaving Cory to think.

Cory now knew three qualities to getting girls, be confident, be tall, and be yourself. He was learning, slowly but surely. He walked out to the porch with his new outfit: sweat pants with a Siberian tiger printed tee shirt tucked into them. Cory sat on the porch and waited for the bus, looking over the corn field across the road. Eventually the bus came, Cory walked slowly up the stairs and past the third graders, going to the back of the bus where Greg, a 4th grader, sat.

"What are you going to do today, Cory?" Greg asked, looking severely depressed.

"Gosh, I just got up so shut up, kid." Cory turned away and began throwing stuff out the bus window to see if it would make the bus go faster due to there being less weight.

Cory arrived at school and walked up the stairs, entering the building. He found his locker and put all his stuff into it, katana included. Apparently weapons weren't allowed in the classrooms because they were "dangerous." Out of nowhere, Jim, the school jock, walked up to Cory, pushing him into the lockers.

"Heh, nothing personal, kid," he said, laughing.

Cory ran from Jim, arms behind his back, and eventually made it to his classroom. He sat down on his desk and took out his notebook, drawing some more samurais. Eventually, the teacher began to call names for presentations on the articles they had to do reports on. Cory stood up as his name was called and walked up to the chalkboard, standing awkwardly in front of the class.

"Over the weekend, French scientists shot a missile at the wilderness of Canada t-to try to kill bigfoot, who lives there. After searching the forest ruins, many people seem to think that bigfoot still lives and didn't die," Cory took a deep breath, closing his eyes, "some people think witches came from Toronto to save bigfoot and stop others from eating him, and saved him in the process."

Cory ran back to his seat with his arms behind his back, frowning. Nobody clapped, and no one said anything. Cory began shading his picture of a katana as the bell rang, causing Cory to shout out in frustration.

Cory now went to gym class, where he sat on the tire swing on the elementary playground, staring at girls hoping they'd talk to him. None of them did. Jim walked over and threw a stick at Cory, causing Cory to shout "gosh" and run away.

He approached the office and stood there, waiting for the secretaries to talk to him. One of them turned to him, and gave him a questioning look. They stared at each other for about 30 seconds, the secretary's eyes slowly narrowing and Cory's face unchanging.

"How can I help you?" the secretary asked, breaking the silence.

"I need to use your phone, it's an emergency."

Reluctantly, she gave up the phone and handed it to Cory. But he couldn't remember any of the numbers of anyone. He was stuck at school for now…

Walking to lunch, Cory ran into the principal, who handed him a note that said the grandma he was living with went off to Las Vegas to get away from depressing Iowa. Everything was looking bad for Cory now. He was stuck alone in a school full of bullies and people who hated him, and now some old guy was coming over to watch him and Tim.

Cory got to lunch and sat alone, eating his chicken tenders in peace. A short kid walked up and sat across from him, eating a salad. His face was unreadable, and he showed no emotion. They sat in silence and ate, grabbing their food, putting it into their mouths, chewing it with their teeth, and swallowing it, making the leftovers of the food go into their digestive system.

Cory got on the bus home, avoiding everyone. He arrived home to find Tim at his computer, talking to "girls."

"Get out of my light, Cory!' Tim shouted as Cory walked in sulking.

Cory sat on the porch outside, staring at a cow in the field next to the house. A loud noise began to form as a semi truck drove up, parking in front of the house. A guy with a long, handlebar mustache and long hair came out of the truck, adjusting his shades. This would be the guy watching the boys. He grabbed a piece of thinly sliced ham from the glove compartment and walked up to the house, chewing with his mouth open.

"Cory, get in the house and put this in the cassette player," the man said, handing Cory a DVD.

He ran inside and put the DVD into the cassette player, surprised to find out it worked. He sat down next to Tim on the couch, and all three of them began watching the home film. It was a half hour piece of footage that showcased Mack, the new guy, throwing Frisbee at a tree.

"So, what do you think of my home movie?"

"I like it, we should sell stuff like this to commoners," Tim replied.

"Ah commoners, is that some new type of pig?"

"This is the worst movie i've ever seen," Cory exploded.

"Hey, don't talk about my movie like that, kid. I've dealt with people younger than you and it ain't pretty!"

Cory ran off, not feeling welcome, and walked into town. Everyone was talking about the school dance and how they were going to it, but Cory couldn't find a date. And now that the grandma was gone, he couldn't even take her to the dance. He walked into his favorite store in town: the clothing store. Inside, he could find almost anything related to clothing such as fanny packs and ammo bags.

Cory went over to the 'new' section, where they showcased second hand goods that were just donated. A nice blood-red fedora had come in, it was made out of sheepskin and only cost 5 dollars. Cory wanted to buy it to impress the ladies, but he realized he had already bought a fanny pack with his allowance, and didn't have any money left. This led to him getting the idea to get a job.

He walked over to the park and began searching for jobs. The job market in Iowa was the greatest in the world, but there was only farming jobs. He decided to go for a more industrial job and went into the pig whipping business. For 8 hours straight, Cory whipped pigs back into their cage because the farm owner couldn't afford a gate and didn't think Cory was strong enough to handle pigs bare handed. And he was right.

Cory came home with 25 cents, a fraction of the cost of the fedora. Tim was once again talking to Jay, his girlfriend over the internet.

"We just really connect, y'know? I can just feel her here…" As he said that, he closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, hugging the air next to him intimately.

Cory retreated to his room, trying to figure out a plan to get money so he could get that fedora so he could impress the ladies so he could get a date for the dance. It was then that he recalled Tim's suggestion to sell Mack's DVD to commoners. Looking outside, Cory made sure Mack was still asleep in the flowerbed, he was. Cory then snuck past Tim, who was now kissing the air next to him, and grabbed the DVD from the cassette player.

Cory ran downtown and sold the DVD, which he told the man at the pawn shop was empty, and got his 5 bucks. He walked over to the clothing store and bought the blood-red fedora, proudly releasing his plan had worked, he could now get a date for the dance.

The next day at school, he wore the hat all day. It attracted a lot of attention to him, and he knew that his plan had worked. Growing in courage, he decided to ask out a girl he had seen before, Maylene. He walked up to her and began to talk.

"Maylene, want to go to the dance with me?"

She got a disgusted look on her face and walked away. Cory knew she had only gotten nervous and didn't blame her. He would meet her at the dance.

Getting back to his house, Cory found Mack was tearing apart the house to find his DVD. As he caught sight of Cory, he knew that Cory had stolen his precious home film. Mack grabbed Cory and slammed him onto the table, telling him not to move. Tim continued to type loudly and talk to himself as he ignored, or maybe didn't hear, the commotion.

Mack came back with a piece of cloth and a jug of water. He put the cloth onto Cory's head and started pouring water onto it.

"What did you do to my DVD?" Mack yelled, holding the cloth down tightly.

Cory began to feel a drowning sensation and screamed, telling Mack to stop.

"Tell me what you did to my film!"

"I-I sol… sold it….. T-t-to the pawn… shop…." Cory began coughing and wheezing.

"You did what?"

"I sold it for five bucks so I could buy this hat!"

Mack pushed Cory outside and they began to fight, lightly slapping each other every few seconds. Eventually Mack pulled out a lighter and grabbed Cory's fedora, lighting it on fire. Cory watched his dreams of getting a girl burn away with the hat.

Instead of getting angry, Cory felt emptiness as he walked back to his bedroom, crying softly.

As he arrived to the dance the next day, Cory saw that everyone else had a date. He looked around for Maylene, trying to see if she still wanted to be with him. Suddenly the doors opened and in came Maylene with Jim, the jock. Cory left the dance that night very sad.

Tim had started talking to Jay over the phone, but she didn't speak english so they couldn't even talk.

"Non mi piace tu," she said, desperately trying to get her point out.

"I don't know anything about nuns, sorry," Tim was much happier now.

The time had come for final exams, and Mack had finally left. Things were looking better. Naturally Cory failed all his exams, having never done a single assignment or done anything in school other than draw. Maylene had become school president and made taking weapons on school property against the school rules. Life was getting horrible, Cory couldn't take it anymore.

While eating his quesadilla, he realised Tim was nowhere to be found. Cory looked around the house and couldn't find him anywhere. He walked outside, only to find himself in the middle of the SWAT team taking Tim and his grandmother into custody, and with them was the president.

"Cory! I'm glad we finally found you and saved you from those kidnappers."

"Kidnappers..?"

"Yeah, they kidnapped you, brought you to Iowa, and made you go to school."

Cory felt he deserved a break from all of this, so he decided not to tell the president about the bus driver and how these were just normal people. The team took Cory and the president back to DC, where Cory fell into his tiny bed and laid awake all night, unable to sleep on such a cheap mattress after months of sleeping in a bed. Life was better in Iowa, no matter how many corn fields there were.


	6. Cory's Inferno Part I

Hey guys, this chapter was really long, so I cut it into two parts, I guess this is the first special chapter or something, I don't know, enjoy.

In the city of Berlin, people were celebrating harvest. Many Germans came to the town square to sell their products, happily conversing with others. The entire city was filled with joy, and no problems were thought about on this day. But under the city, it was another story.

Cultists walked through an abandoned bunker under Berlin, eagerly awaiting to meet their once again revived master. One cultist got too excited, and was told to leave so he wouldn't offend the emperor. Eventually, the time came for them to enter the room, trying to hide their excitement for the master. In a single file, they entered the room, which was furnished greatly with bookcases and tables. At one table, a man sat as he stroked his mustache.

He wore a military uniform and had on his head a cap, much like many commanders wear in the military. He stood, revealing his uncanny face, almost perfect as he was no longer fully human. That man was Adolf Hitler, reborn as a cyborg.

The cultists clapped and cheered as he walked toward them, unable to keep their excitement from their faces. The bus driver who almost hit Cory entered the room, followed by a few other men in hoods.

"How did it go, bus driver?" Hitler said, not amused.

"W-well sir, we dropped him off in Iowa but he was able to survive the depression and didn't kill himself…" the bus driver stuttered, unable to make eye contact.

"You are a fool. You," he pointed to one of the men with the hoods, "remove your hood."

The man removed his hood, revealing himself to be Kanye East, the poet and less known of the Kanye brothers. He enjoyed writing poetry about nature and taking walks in parks. He was also a philosopher who studied France for a living. He was the epitome of human suffering.

"Are you ready to take Cory to hell?" Hitler asked him slowly, Kanye nodded, "Excellent, go on then."

The man ran away, leaving Hitler behind with the bus driver and three men in hoods. One of the men stepped forward.

"Ay Hitler, my gang and I were gunna try to take Cory again, dey are ready dis time." He said, similarly to how a mob boss would speak.

"Good, only do it if Cory doesn't survive hell, though. Knowing Kanye, you won't have to worry about that, though." Hitler sighed, "Our destinies will soon reveal themselves, we will defeat the president and bring back order. Dismissed."

The remaining people walked away, leaving Hitler alone.

Cory was relaxing in his room, trying to count the holes in the wall and pass the time quickly. He was grounded by order of the president, and couldn't leave his room. Cory had tried to get two pieces of bread instead of one at breakfast, a direct violation of the White House terms of service. While his room was searched by the CIA, they found more rations of bread in his room, resulting in his in house suspension.

Cory felt very guilty, as if he had betrayed the entire country. He had sinned, and his sin was treachery. Cory decided he wasn't fit for modern life anymore, so he began cutting a hole in the wall with his katana, breaking another law of the land. He then ran away to the woods near DC, running toward a nearby mountain.

Feeling eyes watch him, Cory cautiously walked on, only to be attacked by a mountain lion. Cory fought off the mountain with his bare hands, punching it and kicking it until it was dead. An ominous presence watched from the bushes, unmoving and awaiting the right moment. The right moment came finally, and he made his entrance by jumping from a tree, right in front of Cory.

"Sire, dost thou have no place to go?" Kanye East said, pacing around.

"Sorry, I don't speak German," Cory began walking away.

"No-no sire, it is English, I wish to show you a splendid new place!"

"Ah, splendid? Show me."

Kanye led Cory to a sign next to a cave, Cory couldn't read it because it was old English.

"Basically it says everyone in here should give up hope."

Cory excitedly walked into the cave, having already given up all hope. The dark wet cave became smaller and smaller until it ended at a small hole only a skinny person could fit through. Cory could not fit through it. Eventually they found if they blew up the wall Cory could fit through. It worked, they were in.

They looked around at the dark cave full of people. All the people were being chased by swarms of hornets, as maggots ate at their feet. Luckily, Cory was wearing shoes. They made their way across the field of people, avoiding the swarms.

"So, what is this place?" Cory asked, curious.

"This is _inferno_ or in your simple minded language, h- e- double hockey stick, or in your somewhat more smart but still stupid language, hell."

Cory looked around in amazement at the people being chased by swarms, seeing the fear in their eyes made him excited, "So all people in hell get chased by swarms?"

"Oh no, these are only the neutral people, the people who didn't do anything wrong but didn't do anything good." Kanye smiled evilly as he took Cory toward the entrance to the next room, where a boat awaited them to cross into hell.

They made their way across the river, noticing how calm the water was. Cory reached down to take a drink, but was stopped by Kanye, who told him the river was made of mercury. As they reached the bank of the river, Kanye jumped from the boat and landed on the shore, looking upon the first part of hell. Cory got out and looked upon the people of this part, seeing the people wandering around, forever looking upon the plain landscape.

"So what did these people do?" Cory asked, looking at the dead faces they made.

"Them? Probably nothing. They just didn't believe."

Cory, not understanding, accepted that he was stupid and didn't say anything. They continued on. As they walked through the barren landscape, Cory recognized figures such as Ghandi and a few people dressed as popes. There was nothing these people could do to escape, and they were forever burdened by their choices.

As they approached the next level, Kanye turned to Cory, "This next layer is where the punishments begin, be ready."

Cory nodded and followed Kanye into the next layer, only to be stopped by Minos, the judge of hell.

"You mates ain't going in unless yer ready to be judged," the serpentine creature said, sounding very Australian.

"Ah, it seems as if Minos is going to stop us, isn't that pleasant…" Kanye began pointing at Cory's sword, telling him to use it with his lips.

Cory didn't get the message, and stared up at minos in awe. Reluctantly, Kanye pulled the sword out of its holder and handed it to Cory, telling him to fight the monster. Cory slowly walked up to it and stabbed it gently with the sword, slaying the beast. Minos's boomerang collection fell out of his pocket, and they each grabbed a few boomerangs, stealing his emu in the process and entering the second layer of hell.

As soon as they entered, they covered their eyes with their hands, shielding their faces from the harsh winds. Kanye took his coat and covered himself with it, while Cory hid behind the emu.

"What is this one?" Cory yelled over the storm.

"Lust! They are forever whipped around by the storm, hurry up let's go!"

They ran across the circle, reaching the end with their emu, who was very whip-lashed from the storm. They slowly walked through the cave toward the next layer, noticing that a slush was starting to form on the ground as they moved on. Soon enough, they entered the murky, slush filled part of hell. The people instantly ran toward the emu, eating it and leaving only a few bones behind. These people were hungry. Among the people, Cory could make out many actors that went on to be fat, lazy bums.

"Before you ask, this is the layer of the people who were greedy, and ate too much."

A loud howl was heard from the other side of the circle, seemingly near a large silhouette Cory could barely make out. As they came nearer, Cory could see it was a large, three-headed creature with claws and sharp talons. It turned as they approached, screeching with it's mouth as it clawed at the gluttonous people, causing them to howl.

"Ah, Cerberus, hello again, you seem to be doing well," Kanye smirked at the creature politely, it shrieked back at him.

Cory began to inch away from Cerberus, but the creature moved with him, reading his every move. Cory then looked down on his stomach, and saw he was only hungry. He ran over to one of the people and grabbed them with his strong glove, throwing the person into the creature's mouth. He repeated this process for the other mouths, feeding the creature and gaining them access to the next layer.

"That was good, Cory, but remember that there are other types of greed."

They entered the fourth layer and were instantly greeted by Pluto, a mystical person and the guardian of the greedy.

"Hey guys, welcome to the fourth layer, or as I like to call it the fun zone! Want some gold?" He held out a tiny chest of gold, holding it in front of Cory. Cory grabbed a handful of gold and put it in his pocket, weighing him down and making him slower.

"Ah, you'll fit right in here, C- dawg. Now, let's get onto that tour, shall we?"

The deity led them up stairs and into the actual layer, where many people were jousting with long, heavy weapons. Cory realized that they pushed with their chests, as if they had a heavy weight on their chests due to their greediness in real life.

"Here's the entertainment, dudes. As you can see, it's free and if you're not satisfied you can have more gold. Who knows? Maybe you'll be here forever one day," the deity shrugged, smirking at them.

They moved across the field, avoiding the jousting matches and kicking away people who had been stabbed. Cory tripped and fell into a small pond, unable to swim with the weight of the gold in his pocket.

"Drop the gold, idiot," Kanye screamed at him.

"But it's money, I love money."

"Shut up, Kanye. He can do whatever he wants," Pluto said, waving his hand around.

Cory had to make a decision, money, or his life. It was tough. Was he greedy or not? Cory dropped the coins and instantly could swim again, finding his way back to the shore and walking on with Kanye to the next layer.

"Make sure you stop by again soon, yes?" They ignored Pluto.

They boarded another boat, this time to get through a disgusting greenish reddish swamp, the fifth circle of hell. The people of this layer constantly fight each other for dominance on the surface of the muddy water, pushing others down into the depths of the water. As Cory looked down into the water, he could see people down below the water, not moving.

"Are those people dead?"

"All these people are dead, young Cory. Those are the people who were passively aggressive during their lives, this is the fifth circle: the swamp of wrath, for those who were aggressive during their lives."

Cory nodded, still not understanding, as he looked upon two mud covered people fighting. One pushed the other below the water and stood upon them, only to be pushed away by another who kicked them both. This fighting was pointless, no one ever won.

Eventually they found their way to the shore, where they hit a large, strangely shaped wall, the entrance to lower hell. They walk up to the gate and, noticing the gate needs an angel's touch to open, blew it up. They were now in the sixth part of hell.

Cory instantly noticed the temperature increase, fire was all around them. Within the field were many flaming coffins, each with a person screaming inside.

"These are the heretics, those who go against the word, openly defy everything," Kanye said profoundly.

"Ah, so these people did things against their country?"

"No, that's later, these people went against everyone and mocked them."

Cory looked upon the flaming tombs as he walked through the scorching field, reading a few names such as Bill Clinton and Napoleon the third (not the king, the loser one who didn't do anything). They eventually reached the other side, only to be hit with a terrible odor.

They slowly climbed down the cliffs surrounding the seventh circle, avoiding the minotaur that guards the layer, and entered it. Within this room were many people desperately trying to get out of a lake of boiling blood.

"These people were violent against others, people they may or may not have known, terrible people."

The two continued on to the next room of this circle, which was divided into three rooms. The next room was much larger, filled with many trees and bird ladies, harpies. Strangely, the trees seemed to have faces.

"These are the people who committed suicide, those who were violent against themself. They are turned into trees, and cannot speak unless hurt. The harpies hurt them many times, but they can only speak in whispers."

Cory turned to a tree with a woman who was trying to sob. He took out his sword and cut her bark, making her suddenly burst out crying, and she spoke.

"Please, help us. Kill us all. It's the least you can do… please…" she begged.

Cory nodded and walked back to the first room, getting some fire on a piece of cloth, and threw it at the trees. Cory and Kanye ran as the forest of suicides burned, the people screaming with joy as they were brutally burned. Cory and Kanye then walked to the final room of the seventh circle.

Cory stood in awe as they entered the room, seeing a large area filled with scorching sand as fireballs slowly fell from the sky. It was mystifying, even though it was horrifying. The people in this area were doing three different things, some were stretched across the burning sand, with faces of agony as their backs were scorched. Some others were running in circles infinitely, never ceasing. Finally, the last group sat weeping, for their sins were too great.

"The ones lying down are those violent against HIM, the ones running were violent against nature, and the ones that are weeping are violent against art." Kanye scratched his chin thoughtfully.

Cory looked down upon one of the people lying down, but got over his ability to care for them soon enough and was ready for the next circle. Soon enough, they heard the roar of the waterfall that led to the eighth part of hell. As they approached, Minos, the judge of hell, appeared again before them, holding a boomerang shaped sword.

"Yer not gettin in dere, mates," he said, holding his sword high above him, his snake-like arms coiling around the handle.

Cory stepped forward with his katana, ready. The two sprang at each other, each releasing a barrage of attacks that were blocked by the other. Cory jumped off a rock and flew above Minos, aiming his sword downward, only to be blocked by Minos, who recoiled and knocked Cory back a few feet.

The two locked eyes as Minos slithered forward, using his tentacle appendages to try to hit Cory. Cory jumped over the tentacles and did a downward thrust, cutting them off. The creature screamed and began throwing boomerangs at Cory, all of which were blocked by the young boy.

Cory did a slide attack and sliced at Minos's hips, tearing a gash in his side. Minos screamed again, throwing another barrage of boomerangs, taking Cory by surprise. Cory was hit by a boomerang and quickly recovered, rubbing where the blade had cut his shoulder. Angry, Cory charged at the creature full force and released hundreds of swipes, surprising the monster, who was chopped to pieces.

Kanye clapped as Cory sheathed his katana, following Kanye into the eighth layer of hell.


	7. Cory's Inferno Part II

Last time, Cory and Kanye East made their way through the first seven layers of hell, fighting monsters and killing suicidal trees, what will happen this time? Well you'll have to read this chapter in order to find out, I guess.

The two made their way through the cliffs on the outskirts of the 7th layer of hell, slowly climbing up and down in order to get to the eighth layer, and then finally the ninth layer. Kanye was an expert climber, and Cory was an expert at getting towed around by Kanye's ropes.

Suddenly, a shrill screech echoed in the canyons, alerting Cory to the presence of a large bird-like creature with human faces. It flapped its wings slowly as it made it's way towards them, it's large shadow ominously moving over the cliff. It was the Geryon, the master of fraud. Cory got an idea as it moved closer and jumped from the cliff onto the monster's back, stabbing it, thus controlling it.

Kanye jumped down onto the creature next to Cory, and they rode the monster through the cliffs, toward the eighth circle. It was then that Cory realized that the creature wasn't large at all, it was only a fraud. The creature was actually a small emu, tirelessly flapping it's wings. The Geryon landed them safely next to the entrance to a long wind tunnel, the eighth circle.

As they entered, Cory realized that the entire length was full of punishments for different types of sins. Kanye jumped in and said, "Fraud, there are many different types of it, that is why the master of these lands has given fraud many different types of punishment."

They walked toward the first crowd of people, as Kanye explained "These are the panderers and seducers, those who tell lies and evilly trick people into liking them."

These people walked around in two lines, marching along. On the sides of both lines stood large, horned demons, each holding a whip. They whipped the humans all at the same time. With each whip crack, Cory flinched as he saw the pain of the people, knowing they deserved this for eternity.

Kanye motioned Cory to move on, and they walked forward to the next group of sinners, "these are the flatterers, those who use their tongues to trick others into servitude, vile creatures, they are."

They stood in a large pool filled with a brown, mud like substance. They howled, fought, and even cried as they stood in the pool for eternity. As Cory stared, a foul smell hit his nose.

"Feces," Kanye said as he plugged his nose.

"What?"

"That's feces."

"What is feces?"

Kanye looked down, ashamed at Cory's stupidity, "poop."

Cory got that word, he looked in disgust as the people fought in the human waste, giving the entire picture a new meaning. Cory fell down and threw up onto one of the people below's head, they didn't seem to notice. The person walked away and started to fight another person, still covered in puke.

The two moved on, coming across a bridge, to the next group of sinners. These people were placed with their heads within tube-like holes on top of the wood. At their feet were fires, some of them bigger than others. They never burned, but they seemed to feel the pain, "Ah, those who sold false items in the church, they are blinded and burned, never able to do anything but be tortured."

"Why are some fires bigger than others?"

"Some are worse than others."

Cory got bored of looking at burning people, and began to move on toward the next group. Kanye ran after Cory to catch up. They began to cross the next bridge, where people walked around with their heads twisted backwards, walking backward for eternity.

Cory looked at Kanye expectantly, but he said nothing. He merely walked toward a woman who said nothing as well. He stared at her, she couldn't see him, she was blinded by her tears. Kanye then walked away from her, a single tear rolling down his face.

"These are the sorcerers, those who tricked others with false magic."

"Who was that lady?"

"That was Hannah Montana, my old girlfriend who told people she could transform into two different forms."

Cory nodded, getting bored of these backwards headed freaks and decided to move on to the next part of the eighth circle. They came upon a large pit of tar, boiling tar to be specific. Around the edges were demons with large claws, and sometimes grappling hooks.

"What is this?"

"This is the tar pit for the corrupt politicians, they lay beneath the tar, unable to escape due to the demons. Forever boiling for eternity."

Cory watched as one tried to surface, only to be grappled by a demon and pulled toward the shore. Kanye walked to the demon and said something in a weird language. The demon nodded and grabbed the man, who still had a grappling hook in his shoulder.

"Tell us who you are, barrator." Kanye approached the damned victim, staring him down.

"O-oh…. It is you…"

"Tell us. Now."

"I-I am Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada…"

"Throw him back in."

The demon swung his hook around, Justin flying with it, and threw it out into the lake of boiling tar, making Justin disappear below the surface. The two outsiders began walking toward the sixth punishment. People in this area were forced to walk across a narrow beam for all eternity, weighted down by lead ropes.

"These are those who said something, but also said something else: the hypocrites. They are weighted down by the guilt they should have felt. See them shine? On the outside they appear pure, but they are vile on the inside." Kanye held up the emu from the third circle dramatically posing.

Cory began walking across the beam, occasionally pushing a few off. As they fell, they turned to ashes, only to be reformed back at the beginning. As Cory went on, he saw that as far as the eye could see there were beams with millions of people crossing them. The two quickly made their way to the other side of the bridge, trying not to fall off.

"We are nearly to the ninth layer, only a few more punishments to get through," Kanye began walking toward the next group of people, who were within a large pit. As Cory came upon the edge of the pit, he noticed it was full of large reptiles, some that he had never seen before. The worst part: there was no way around the pit.

"Careful now, they shouldn't hurt you but they might if you're not careful, young one."

Cory jumped down into the pit, slowly inching forward to the sound of hissing. Kanye didn't seem to mind, and walked quicker than Cory.

"These are the thieves, who stole from others to better themselves. They are trapped within this reptile pit, unchanged by the life they once lived."

Cory saw one man run toward him, he was short and bald. As Cory saw him get closer, he noticed the man had no iris's. No one in hell did.

"Young man, please save me from this pit of snakes, I am Napoleon Bonaparte, the great emperor of France! You must let me follow you to escape!" the man shouted, raising his arms up high.

Just as Cory was about to speak, a snake lunged at Napoleon, biting him straight in the face. The man screamed, bursting into flames as his body turned to ashes. Soon, he was reformed into a human, reborn from the ashes.

"Please, you must help me. I cannot live like this!"

"Well, I guess you could come with us, maybe…" Cory replied, unsure.

"Oh grazie! Thank you kind sir!"

The two made it to the end of the pit, where Kanye awaited Cory's arrival.

"You found Napoleon? I don't think we can actually save people down here, Cory."

They started climbing out of the pit. Cory and Kanye made it out, and Napoleon started climbing out, only to be stopped by a large man with the body of a horse, a centaur. Around him slithered many snakes, coiling around his body, hissing. On his shoulder sat a small, fire breathing lizard.

"Napoleon Bonaparte, it seems that you have sinned once again. Not facing your punishment, what a coward," Cacus, the centaur, shouted, grabbing the man and hoisting him on his back, running off.

Shocked, Kanye and Cory decided to just move on. Trying to forget what they had witnessed. The tunnel became more cavernous, becoming uneven with small walkways.

"We're getting closer," Kanye continued walking.

They came across a small ledge on the edge of the wall, with just enough room for them to walk across. Below them, in a gigantic pit, flames moved about, almost in a human manner.

"Those are the sinners below, trapped within flames for eternity. Some don't even remember who they once were. These are the counsellors of fraud, those who used their positions and power to deceive others."

The two quickly made their way to the next room, where a large demon with a bloody sword stood, chopping people.

"The sowers of discord, as once in life they separated others, now they are separated themselves," Kanye stared at the demon, and moved on. Cory quickly following, trying to get the picture out of his head.

They entered the final part of the eighth circle. Cory noticed everyone was sick and suffering. Various diseases could be seen such as smallpox, the plague, and even herpes.

"These are the remaining sinners who committed fraud, those who do not fit the other categories exactly. Much like a disease, they ruined society, and now they are ruined themselves. A perfect form of justice, no?"

Cory nodded, running through the field of sick people, witnessing crying, fighting, and disgusting images from the horrible diseases of the sinners. The two approached another large wall, with giants surrounding it.

"We are here. The ninth circle of hell. First we must get into it, though."

The two began to climb the wall, ignoring the giants, and eventually reached the top, Cory being towed along. At the top, Cory realized that it wasn't a wall, it was actually a large well that led into the ninth area. They began climbing down into the pit, making their way to the bottom. Surprisingly, the temperature began to lower as they came closer to the bottom.

Kanye and Cory jumped, landing on the bottom of the pit, in a large frozen lake. Within the ice were people, some lower than others. Some even had their heads sticking out of the water.

"These are those who are treacherous, those who have betrayed others."

At the word 'betray,' Cory realized that since he betrayed his country, he would now be within these people. He was destined to be buried within this frozen lake for eternity.

"There are three classes in here, those who betrayed their guests have their face out of the ice with their tears frozen to their eyes, those who betrayed their friends are the highest out of the ice, and finally, those who betrayed their country are held with their head barely out of the ice."

Cory thought about himself with his head barely out of the ice as he walked along. He accidentally kicked one of the head, turning around to apologize.

"It's ok, HE does it all the time."

"Who?"

"You know…"

Cory did not know. The two people continued onward across the frozen lake, reaching another group of sinners, all of which were below the ice, twisted in strange positions. Forever trapped in a prison of ice, never able to move or speak. The ultimate punishment.

"I have never made it this far, it appears there's a fourth group, those who have betrayed their lords. Much like their hearts, they are completely frozen in ice."

Cory then realized that he hadn't just betrayed his country, he had also betrayed his lord, the president. Cory wouldn't even have his head out of the ice, he would be frozen forever below the ice. He fell down onto the ice, looking down upon the person below. He started hitting the ice, trying to free the person, but the ice was as hard as concrete.

Suddenly, two figures appeared before Kanye and Cory. One was a tall man wearing a large red robe and a crown of branches. He held out a large medieval sword, ready. The other looked even more old fashioned than the first. He wore spartan armor, without the helmet, over a toga, holding his hooked blade at the ready.

"Why have you come, travelers?" the man with the robe asked, holding his sword higher.

Kanye turned to Cory, "I think this is Dante and his friend, the poet Virgil, my personal heroes."

Cory turned toward the men, "we wish to get passed you, to the final chamber."

"We cannot let you do that," Virgil held his sword up with both hands, ready to fight.

Dante charged at Cory, swinging his large blade in a sweeping motion toward him, which Cory dodged, sliding across the ice. Cory used his momentum to turn around, slicing the ice with his sword as he swung upwards, slicing Dante's robes, but missing the man.

Meanwhile, Virgil jumped toward Kanye, swinging his blade at the man. Kanye blocked with his metal boomerang he had grabbed earlier. Falling to his knees as he slid away, he threw the boomerang, only to have Virgil dodge the flying object.

Dante charged Cory, swinging his sword downward to hit the boy, but Cory slid around Dante, swinging his own katana at the man. Dante used his sword to push away and slide on the ice. Cory used the same tactic, closely following Dante at a high speed.

Kanye caught his boomerang, getting up and throwing it again. Virgil swing his sword at it, knocking it out of the air, but also knocking his sword out of his hand. Kanye charged at Virgil, swinging his leg at the poet, and his own hero.

Dante did a 180 degree turn on the ice, and charged at Cory, sliding at him with his sword held out. Cory blocked the attack, pushing Dante away with his katana. Dante turned his sword upside down in his hand, and grabbed a second sword out of his belt. Cory charged at the man, hitting and blocking attacks while keeping his balance on the ice.

Dante pushed Cory and threw his sword at him, catching Cory off guard. The sword hilt hit Cory in the knee, knocking him to the ground. Cory laid the on back on the ground as Dante walked toward him, his sword pointed toward Cory's chest. Cory quickly swung his katana at the man's feet, knocking him down as well, and making him drop his last sword. The boy used his momentum to regain his ground, standing above the swordless man.

"You mustn't do this, the thing we are guarding should not be seen by mortal eyes," the man pleaded.

"I must make my name right again."

"This isn't the way to do it, young one, there's more to this than you know."

Cory thought this over, and stabbed the man, claiming his first life. Kanye had also defeated Virgil, but the poet was merely knocked out. Cory and Kanye walked through the door to the final room, the center of hell.

In the center of the ice covered floor was a large creature with three faces. He was waist deep in ice, and chains covered his arms, tying him for eternity. The beast had gigantic wings on it's back, but they seemed nonfunctional. It was the epitome of ignorance, impotence, and hatred. Satan.

As they entered the room, they walked up a large rock that led near the beasts faces. As they approached, they were filled with dread at the horror of the beast. Satan lunged for them, but was unable to get to them due to the chains.

It spoke with a deep, raspy voice, cold as ice, "Welcome to the center of hell, fools."

Cory realized if he could slay this beast, he would be saved from his sins and could possibly escape his eternal prison of ice.

Cory drew his weapon, holding it off to the side as he stared into the eyes of Satan, determined to defeat the epitome of evil itself. The two stared at each other, a silence formed over the cold room. Kanye stood back and stared in horror at the beast.

Cory lunged at the beast, jumping onto it's nose and stabbing it a few times. Satan roared as it whipped its faces around, Cory holding on for dear life. He jumped up, slicing at the creature's wings, unable to make a dent.

"It's immortal, Cory, you cannot defeat it."

Cory, thinking Kanye was talking about his sins, started hitting harder, determined to defeat the creature, and, in turn, his sins. Cory continued slicing at the creature until he was exhausted, after which he fell from the creature, landing behind it onto the ice. He watched as he sank below the ice, accepting his fate.

Suddenly, he was in a different place, a warmer place. All around him was light. Across from him was a woman. She was very beautiful and looked angelic.

"Cory," she said, "you have done it. You have showed courage and have conquered all your sins!"

"But, I didn't defeat Satan…"

"No, but you have defeated his treachery. I am Beatrice, your guardian angel. You will now be transported back to the surface."

"Thank you, I didn't want to be trapped in a prison of ice…"

"Yes, I know. Just for your information, Kanye was planning on killing you for his master this entire time, but he seems to have spared you because of his empathy. I warn you, he has stolen some of Satan's spit, this gives him the power to revive someone who was once sent to hell."

"Don't worry, I don't think he's going to use it on anyone, I know him well."

Cory blinked, and was suddenly in the middle of a field outside Washington DC. He hit the ground, having not finished talking to Beatrice. He grabbed his katana, and began his long journey home.


	8. The Internet

Cory stroked his katana, feeling the cold steel with his small, frail hands. He was within his room, sitting on his bed. Outside, rain poured down, soaking DC in a triumphant scene. The katana in Cory's hand glowed dully, making the entire room a bit brighter. There were no lights in the closet he lived in, so the sword was now his main source of light to push back the darkness.

Becoming bored, Cory decided to go talk to the president, whom he hadn't seen since Cory had betrayed the country. He walked down the halls toward the oval office, looking down so he wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. Eventually, after a tiring walk up a flight of stairs, he arrived at the door, and cautiously knocked.

"Enter, Cory."

Cory entered, staring at the president, "how did you know?"

"I know everything, Cory."

"I'm bored, give me something to do…"

The president took a large chug of absinthe, almost choking, and stood up, motioning Cory to follow him. They slowly made their way down the hallways to the elevator, which led them into the secret presidential lab, which had created his katana glove. They made their way to the end of the room, where a large group of scientists were gathered.

"I found you guys a test subject," the president said, pushing Cory toward them.

The scientists happily took Cory and placed him to a chair, strapping him in and securing a machine on his head. The machine was large, with lots of lights and tubes coming out of it.

"Name?" one of the scientists holding a tablet asked.

"U-uh… um… It's C-cory."

"18 or older?"

Cory nodded eagerly, but the president shook his head.

"Sex?"

Cory didn't know what that word meant, the president whispered it to the scientist, who put a question mark in the field.

"Welcome to the first test of our brand new internet experience, we have recreated the internet as a virtual world, instead of usernames and passwords you'll have one ID, this will be used everywhere. Please stay calm as we inject you with 40 different chemicals.

Cory braced himself as scientists, one by one, began giving him shots. Cory began feeling numb, and very dizzy. His head felt like it was in a dream world, everything was blurring. The last image he saw before his eyes was the president laughing at his state.

Cory woke up within a field next to a large city. He looked around at the tall grass, not knowing where he was. He reached for his katana, but he wasn't wearing it anymore. Cory stood up and started stretching, the effects of the injections wearing off. He reached into his pocket, and felt something. Pulling it out, he realized it was an ID card. He was in the internet.

Cory began wandering toward the city. As he went along, he admired the appearance of everything. It looked so natural, maybe even more natural than real life. The wind blew through the grass, causing pollen caught on the blades to fly with the wind, mystifying Cory. It appeared to be summer, different from real life, where it was spring.

As he neared the city, he realized it was a large metropolis, but no one was in it. The city wasn't abandoned, it just wasn't populated. Cory walked into the city, looking around for something to do. Billboards everywhere carried ads for pills and other scams, filling Cory with dread as he remembered the growth pills.

Cory entered a building on his right, labeled 'information.' As he entered, he saw large boards telling him about the place he was in.

"Welcome to the world wide web. This is the main metropolis of the internet, where all the most popular sites thrive. Outside of that are the smaller public sites. Far away on the north side is the private part of the internet, and the deep areas. The deep areas are guarded by specially trained guards, you won't be getting in there. Thank you for using the internet!"

Cory ran outside and began searching for his favorite website, tumblr. He eventually found it, entering. Inside, Cory found many strange beings were speaking in robot voices. These were the users who were not within the internet. Cory, being the only one within the internet, was the only human in this world.

Most of the users were complaining about stupid stuff, so Cory started to leave. He walked outside, looking up at the skyline. One building dominated the entire city, the google building. It seemed to devour all other buildings near it, making them part of it.

Cory looked around for a map, but only found stairs to a subway. As he entered, he realized that this was the search engine. He jumped onto the bullet car and entered 'otaku culture' in the keyboard. The car's visor shut, and it flew off as fast as sound, going straight to the large google building, giving him a large tablet with all the results of his search. Cory picked his favorite Japanese culture website, and was instantly transported to the building.

Everyone in the room held a katana, some had fedoras on their heads. The users were talking about how Japan was the greatest place on Earth, and how it would one day rule the world. Cory, knowing Japan no longer existed (the United States 'accidentally' destroyed Japan and took all their art and architecture to keep its culture alive), joined the discussion.

"You guys know that Japan doesn-" Cory was interrupted by a group of users dressed as the police, who erased everyone's memory and removed Cory from the site.

"You must not tell government secrets," it said, in a robot voice. They then left, leaving Cory alone again, naturally.

Meanwhile, in the real world, scientists realized they had forgotten to make a way to get him out of the internet.

"What do you mean you don't know how to do it? We need him for the project!" the president began shouting at the scientists, overreacting.

"I guess it may be possible for him to escape… if he gets to the deep part of the internet and shuts off the entire internet, but he will never figure out how to do that…"

"You must have some way of sending someone into there, right?"

"Ah, yes, we may have someone we can call up to send someone into there, but they are not human."

"Who cares? Just send the aliens in there, I don't care!"

Later, Cory began walking down the street, not knowing where to go. Half of the city was blocked off from him, due to his age. Suddenly, Cory felt as if he was being watched by someone. He turned and looked around, not seeing anyone but still feeling fear. The boy began to run for his life from an unknown enemy, accidentally running into one of the age restriction barriers.

A figure jumped from the top of a building, landing before him as a blue blur. The figure moved their cape away from themselves, revealing themselves as Xerath, the blue alien girl. She was part of a race of aliens known as the Xerath's.

"Cory, it appears you are in need once again," she said, throwing her cape behind her back.

"Yes, I am looking for a new site to go to."

"Oh, you don't wish to escape this world?"

Cory looked at her, confused, "why would I want to escape? This place is great!"

Xerath shook her head in shock, "you must go back to the real world, they need you."

Cory gave in and asked how they could get out.

"You must go to the deep area of the internet, and shut down the entire world wide web. Such a catastrophic event will bring you back to the real world, but we are unsure what will happen to you before you wake up."

"Sounds good, let's go."

"No, I will follow you but cannot accompany you in this world. Also try not to make too many stops on the way to the deep web."

Cory nodded, and Xerath jumped up, disappearing in a blue blur. Cory looked around, trying to figure out how to get to the outside of the city. He started walking down one of the streets toward the outskirts of the city. As he walked, he saw a dating site and couldn't help himself; he entered.

Inside, he found many people talking at different tables. All of them had preferences above their heads. Cory walked up to one girl who said she liked tall, rich guys. Cory realized that this was another thing he could add to his list of qualities he needs to get a girl. Cory walked over to the archive room, where he discovered Tim (the guy from Iowa) had most of the posts on the website, at least before he went to maximum security prison. Most of the girls he talked to had told him to go away, other than one who just wanted him for his money that he claimed to have.

Cory exited, realizing Tim had a better chance of getting a girl than him. He kept walking toward the edge of town, nearing the suburbs. Before he could get there, though, he ran into the ghetto of town, where all the sketchy looking sites existed. Advertisement billboards were everywhere. Most of the buildings were painted in bright colors with a black background, making them look cheap and sketchy.

Nevertheless, Cory decided to enter one site, where a real life psychic could give you a reading. Cory pulled out his ID and gave his information to the site, admitting himself into the door. He stood there, and 0.02 coins were taken from his account (about 30 dollars at this time). His mind was 'read' and he was given a fortune, "your reading wasn't clear, please donate again to get a clearer reading. Cory donated again, which yielded him the same message. Cory decided that he wasn't in the mood to get his mind read again, and moved past the ghetto into the suburbs.

The suburbs were nicer, but still bad quality. Here were mostly personal sites and blogs, boring stuff. Cory decided to hurry through this section the internet and move on the the deep area. This area was far away from the rest of the internet, surrounded by a wall of fire and many guards.

Xerath swooped down, and handed him another ID card, this one was different though.

"You'll need this to get past the guards, you can thank me later," she winked, though in a friendly way. As mentioned before, no girl likes Cory.

Cory thanked her and looked down at his new ID. This one had the letters T, O, and R at the top, with an onion symbol on the opposite side. It was a card to get past the guards, but it didn't look very useful against the firewall.

Cory continued forward to the lines of guards. They were large, blurry users. They seemed to carry some sort of gun, but Cory couldn't make out what it would do. He didn't want to find out.

Using the ID card, he was able to easily make his way past the many guards, and approached the firewall. Taking a deep breath, Cory jumped through the wall, his ID card shone with light, protecting him from the wall. Cory was in.

The deep area of the internet seemed to be below, in the large, well like structure the firewall protected. Cory climbed the stairs up the walls, going up so high he could see the city clearly. Cory looked over the fields around the city. The city was gigantic, but there was so much more area that could be covered. It seemed to go on forever.

Did Cory really want to leave this place? He could make a life here, he could live in isolation, never again having to see another human. Even after the entire world fell, he could still live here.

No. Cory had to go back. He couldn't abandon his people. Cory turned and walked to the edge of the deep well, looking down. It seemed to go on forever, larger than even the city. It seemed to be difficult to find specific sites in this area, and there didn't seem to be a way down. Cory realized he had to jump. Maybe there wasn't fall damage in this world? Who knows?

Cory jumped, not able to keep straight, and landed in one of the sites built into the side of the well. This site was a creepy site about conspiracies. Cory walked through it, occasionally reading some of the content. At the end was a strange passage: "we are all held within a computer simulation, none of this is real."

Cory thought about this, if scientists could make a computer simulation in real life, why couldn't they all be living within a computer simulation? How many simulations are there until you reach the real world? Is there even a real world? Cory fell over, he had thought too hard and now his brain was dying.

Cory recovered, turning back to the well and jumping once again into the abyss. This time, he landed in a site that claimed to have evidence of aliens. It featured many pictures of what Cory realized was him and Xerath talking at night. Someone had ignored the curfew in Washington DC.

Cory jumped again, this time falling for a straight 10 minutes, only to land once again in another site. This one claimed to be a group of people who had revived Hitler. Cory laughed as he read that they recovered an elixir of life from Satan and were able to revive him fully, planning to take over the white house in the coming years.

Jumping again, this time falling for 20 minutes, Cory landed in a site that sold a telephone that could let you talk to fourth dimensional beings. Cory bought two of them for 0.2 coins each.

Eventually, Cory found himself at the bottom of the Deep well, but noticed that it went down further if he wanted to explore more. No, he had to turn off the internet and escape this world. He walked through the sliding door at the bottom of the well, leading through 8 security checks and to a console with a single button. Cory pressed the button, bracing himself for destruction, only to find that was the button to call the elevator. Cory entered the elevator, which moved at the speed of sound, and was able to get to the top in about 1 minute.

He exited the elevator, realizing he was presented with the controls for the internet. In front of him was a large glass window that showcased the entire city and the surrounding area. The emptiness of this world was both scary and invigorating. It was as if the city called for people to come, but none came. Cory walked up to the control panel and saw the button that would turn off the internet.

Cory once again considered his options, he could still turn back and live here. He'd been to hell and back, and even to Iowa. He had experienced the worst nightmares in real life, this could be his break, his retirement. Cory closed his eyes, and pressed the button.

He opened them to find the city and everything around in in this world slowly fade away. The entire world faded to pixels in a line that slowly moved toward the tower Cory stood atop. As it came closer, Cory stared in horror. Eventually, even the tower was consumed by the push of the button.

Cory woke up to darkness. Was he dead? If he was where was he? Then Cory realized he just had his eyes shut and opened them. The scientists all looked bummed, and the president looked like he was about the kill Cory.

"You pressed the delete button, idiot!" the president said, grabbing Cory by the collar.

"O-oh s-sorry…"

"Sorry ain't good enough. I use the internet all the time instead of doing work, what am I supposed to do now?"

Cory thought about it, but couldn't think of an answer. Eventually the president calmed down, but he once again grounded Cory to his room, this time planting officers at the door. Cory polished his katana all day everyday, wondering whether he should have stayed in that world or not, and whether fate made him press the wrong button.


	9. The Fedora Part I

Sorry for being inactive, I was being crucified.

"It was left behind, you must find it."

Cory awoke, hitting his head on the ceiling of his small room. Outside, there was a large storm. Thunder shook the white house while the sound of heavy rain carried throughout the entire city.

Cory turned and sat on the edge of his bed, thinking about the dream he just had. That voice seemed so familiar, as if it was an old friend. He knew that couldn't be it though, he never had any friends before he moved to DC. Within the dream, he was in total darkness, his katana being the only thing seen. He knew someone was out there, but as he ran toward the silhouette, it moved further away.

What was left behind? Cory got out of bed and grabbed his katana. He walked out his door and toward Newt's room. He needed to find out.

As he knocked on Newt's door, he realized a figure was standing at the end of the hall. Cory stared at the person, who appeared to be wearing a hoodie and holding a knife. Cory dropped his katana in shock, and backed away from the figure. Lighting struck, revealing the man's face.

He was incredibly pale, and had a crazed look in his eyes. His face was covered in dried blood near the mouth and eyes, probably his own. The figure slowly made his way toward Cory, stepping over his katana as Cory backed toward the end of the hallway.

Cory turned and ran down the stairs, not knowing whether the man was running after him or not. As he reached the bottom, another figure made his appearance near him. This man was also wearing a hoodie and had a blue mask on, some black liquid seeping down his the mask.

As Cory turned, he saw he was cornered, as the man with the knife was right behind him. Cory tried to use chaos control, but was unable to as he didn't have any chaos emeralds. The two figures knocked him out and dragged him away, taking him to an unknown location.

As Cory awoke, he saw that he was within a grimy prison cell with a dog guarding him. The dog had terrifying teeth that looked like they would rip anyone to shreds. It growled as he neared the bars of the cell, causing Cory to back away.

Cory tried to figure out an escape plan. There was nothing in his cell that would he helpful, actually there was nothing at all in his cell period. The dog watched him pace back and forth, thinking about a way to escape. Eventually, he decided to dig a hole through the wall.

He crawled up to the concrete wall and began scraping at it, trying to make it go away. After a few hours, he had only made a small scratch in the concrete. The door opened, and a man entered the room. Cory couldn't make him out, but he saw that the man held a- you guessed it- knife.

"Get up," the man said, nearing him.

"W-where am I?" Cory started getting up.

"You won't know."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Oh."

The man motioned for him to follow, and they exited the cell. Passing through a ray of moonlight, Cory saw the man was wearing a sort of mouth guard on the outside of his face.

"Wh-who are you?"

"I am ticci Toby, part of the creepypasta gang, that's all you need to know."

The two made their way through the abandoned prison. As they walked, Cory saw other prisoners, each one cowered in fear as they walked by. Turning around, Cory saw the dog following him, keeping him on task.

They walked up a flight of stairs to a large room, where Toby locked Cory's hands to a metal pole.

"The boss is out, looks like you'll be speaking to our branch manager."

Toby left, leaving Cory in the dark, both literally and figuratively. Cory looked around the room. It looked like a gang boss's office. Guns hanging from the walls and portraits of ancestors smirking as they are followed by thugs. This must be some sort of DC mafia.

After waiting a while, the door opened to reveal Slenderman, the branch manager. Cory felt a headache coming on as the man moved over to the desk, standing next to it.

"As you may know, the boss is out right now, so I'll be interrogating you," the thing spoke, in a deep raspy voice inside Cory's head, "Get ready to have your mind ripped open."

Cory felt a huge pain in his head, and felt himself fall unconscious. He woke up again, only to find himself within the depths of his own head. He was in the oval office, but the name on the desk read 'Cory Baxter.'

Cory stood up and walked out of the door, trying to find a way out of this dream. He knew slenderman was watching, but didn't want to acknowledge it. As Cory walked down the hall, he saw the man's white, faceless face staring at him through the window, even though he was on the second floor.

"Tell me where the object is!" rang through Cory's head, causing him a lot of pain.

"I-I don't understand," Cory screamed, falling to his knees.

He looked up and saw the man right before him, staring him down and causing him more pain.

"Tell me now!"

"I don't know!"

Cory painfully stood up and began running from slenderman, sliding down the stairs and into the main entrance hall. Every door Cory ran for was locked, and the man kept appearing in windows. Cory stopped and fell to the ground again as the man jumped out of a door, tentacles out and grabbing Cory.

"You must tell me where the object of importance is!"

"I. Don't. Know!" Cory shouted as everything began to melt away.

Cory woke up again in a different place, this was the mall, but there were only girls here. Cory looked down and saw he was even shorter than before. This was another one of his nightmares. The one where he was even shorter, so he couldn't even talk to girls.

As he ran through the mall, the girls laughed at his shortness and made fun of him. Cory ignored them, seeing the bigger threat behind them: Slenderman slowly gliding over toward him. Cory ran toward the exit, and was suddenly back in the prison cell from before. This time there was a large hole in the wall, allowing Cory to escape.

Outside, he saw this place was right next to the destroyed abandoned building from when he first encountered slenderman. Cory didn't realize it because he's stupid, but this gang had been tracking him since he had first met Xerath. They were trying to capture him since then as well. Like when he entered the plane, and Bane appeared, trying to grab Cory.

Cory ran for Washington DC, but was stopped when tentacles engulfed him.

"Show me the nightmare you had!"

"N-No!"

Cory's vision became clear, and his headache went away. He was now in the abandoned building from before, but that was impossible, this building was destroyed.

Cory ran for the exit, only to find himself once again in complete darkness. He looked down and saw his katana in his hand, lighting the way. This was the nightmare from before.

Slenderman appeared, lighting the entire area and revealing the figure: a woman in a kimono, with a blue face. She looked as if she was possessed, and held up a fedora.

"Yes, finally!" Slenderman said, listening closely.

Cory, realizing the direness of this situation, raised his katana and struck Slenderman, causing him to scream in pain.

"What do you think you're doing? I am a being of immortality!"

Cory raised his katana and swung at slenderman, who teleported behind him. Cory blocked the oncoming tentacles from behind and did a roll to turn around, swiping at the creature. He teleported once again, making Cory's head hurt worse than anything he had ever felt before. But, due to adrenaline, Cory fought onward.

The two struggled for a while, fighting each other. Eventually Cory made a slash at the man, ripping his shirt and slicing him. The man screamed and threw his tentacles around Cory, pinning him to the floor.

"You have no idea what you're doing, boy. You're on the wrong side! We must get that fedora."

The blue lady began to speak, more than Cory remembered her speaking.

"The fedora, it was forgotten, you must find it. It is your destiny. I am possessed by the spirit of the evil king. Please, help free me. He doesn't want you to have it, but you must find it! It was left behind, you must find it."

Slenderman released him from his grip, and everything faded away. Cory awoke within the prison again. After encountering the blue girl, he realized a lot of stuff. The fedora was magical. He now knew where the fedora was: Japan. He looking down at his hands. They were covered in black blood. Slenderman could bleed.

Cory turned to the door, noticing it was open. A banner on the wall said "Creepypasta mafia." Cory had a seizure. When the internet still existed, Cory read creepypastas and role-played as them all the time, not knowing they were real. His favorite had always been Jake the killer, one of his OCs. Cory now would have to fight his favorite people. He turned to the door and walked out, getting ready to go to Japan.


	10. The Fedora Part II

Sorry for the long break, I'll try to update this as much as possible.

The autumn wind whistled through the abandoned prison, giving the entire building an eerie, chilling atmosphere. The grey concrete walls added to the effect, with the paint slowly chipping away as nature took back the building. Inside the building, Cory searched frantically for records on the gang. If the internet still existed, Cory would be able to check the creepypasta wiki to learn about them, but, unfortunately, the internet had been deleted thanks to Cory.

Stumbling across a large book, Cory opened it. 2 pounds of dust fell onto the floor off the top of it, causing Cory to cough loudly. The dust was suddenly blown away from the wind, off into the outside world. The book was huge and contained information on every creepypasta gang member. One of the pages was torn out, though. Looking at the index, it appeared to be the page about the boss.

Cory Closed the book and put it in his backpack. It wasn't heavy, because it was made out of carbon fiber. What should Cory do now? He couldn't even go back to the white house because the president would know something was up then.

The president had again and again told Cory he couldn't go to what was left of Japan. His reasoning was because Cory was too weak right now. It was too bad, too, because his katana was still in the white house.

How could he get to Japan? Well, standing around wasn't going to get him there. He walked across the dusty, filthy floor, and exited through the door, into the morning light. Walking toward the city, he got a brilliant idea. Chris could help him.

Cory hurried toward the shack on the edge of town where Chris lived. He used to have a real house, but he burned it down to get extra money. As punishment, the president moved him out of the city to a small shack. The shack was about the size of a large closet. It featured a mattress and a door. Sometimes it was also home to rats.

Cory burst through the door, catching Chris in the process of eating a rat in his underpants. His fat flowed down him, covered in dark hairs. Cory slammed the door shut, then opened in a few minutes to find him eating another rat, this time wearing a kimono.

"Chris I need your help, I need to get to Japan!"

"Talk no more, my friend. I have a few people you can go meet to get you there!"

Cory gasped, "where are they?"

"California."

The color trained from Cory's face. California was the worst place on Earth. But to go to Japan, Cory knew he would need to suck it up and face his fears.

"I'll do it!"

Cory snuck around downtown DC, looking for a vehicle. Eventually, he saw a stray motorcycle with a sidecar on the side of the road. Cory ran up and jumped onto the seat, hurting himself in the process. He kept pressing buttons, but nothing was working. Then he realized that he didn't turn the keys. The engine roared to life, distorting the air around it with the heat of a thousand tiny explosions. The gasoline flowed smoothly through the tank, fueling the engine. Cory, having never ridden a motorcycle, didn't know how to get moving.

The boy kept pressing buttons, but nothing worked. Frustrated, he kicked the side of the bike, setting it off and moving Cory at a high speed. Cory grabbed the handles instinctively as the motorcycles owner ran out the the store he was in, pulling out a gun. Cory took off, riding down the road and narrowly avoiding the bullets of the person he was stealing from.

As Cory exited onto the highway, he felt as if he was free. He thought too soon. Police cars thundered onto the road, catching up with him. Cory hit the gas and sped off, causing the police cars to speed up as well. Cory quickly maneuvered through the cars on the highway, narrowly avoiding most of them. He couldn't quite seem to lose the cops.

All of a sudden, Cory saw two semi trucks, right next to each other, on the highway taking up the entire section. He couldn't get around them, so he had to go through them. He sped up and aimed for the center of the two trucks. As he entered the gap, the sidecar was torn off of the motorcycle, causing Cory to lose his balance and hit the side of one of the trucks. The door opened on the back of the truck, and the ramp slide down.

Cory fell back, dazed. A vision of sonic the hedgehog appeared in his head, telling him he needed to keep going. Sonic needed him to go fast.

Cory saw the fallen ramp, and quickly aimed for it. The sirens faded as he fell into laser focus, gunning it and speeding toward the ramp. He hit the side of the ramp and fell off the bike, into the trailer. Cory quickly shut the doors and fell asleep in the back of the car.

Cory was awoken by the sound of crates being moved. He got up and out of the truck, seeing the shores of California. He felt dizzy, he was in California. Cory quickly jumped from the truck and breathed in the Californian air, feeling sick. He vomited onto the ground. Thick, chunky liquid fell onto the ground, colored reddish brownish.

Cory quickly got up and walked out of the shipping yard, oh yeah he was in a shipping yard. He walked toward a nearby city and continued to go down a street, the California air making him depressed. As he walked, he saw a golden glow from up ahead. Cory ran through the crowds toward the glow, and followed it all over town. Eventually he caught up with it, and gasped.

Standing there was none other than Sky from skydoesminecraft, holding a budder sword. Next to him was Captainsparklez, who preferred being called Tyrone by friends. They watched as Cory ran up, screeching excitedly as he stared at the budder sword held by Sky.

"You guys are my heroes!" Cory jumped up and down, shaking.

"Hey! You ruined our lives! You're the one who deleted the internet and destroyed our YouTube career!" Sky yelled, anger flowing through his veins.

"I need your help, guys. I need to get to Japan," Cory said, ignoring what Sky had just said.

Tyrone looked up, having an idea, "Dr. Eggman has a lab near the edge of town, maybe we can take one of his ships to get to Japan."

Cory stared at Tyrone, excited again, "We NEED to do that!"

"Now wait just one darned second," Sky said, holding his budder sword up, "This is the guy who ruined our lives. How did you even find me?"

"I know this guy named Chris who watches your videos and he looked you guys up."

"But the internet is gone."

"He never had the internet to begin with, he used this thing called a phone book."

Sky nodded, sighing at Cory's stupidity. Even a minecraft YouTuber like himself saw that Cory was the dumbest person on Earth, and that's coming from a minecraft YouTuber. Cory looked at Sky expectantly, waiting for his answer. Sky sighed then agreed to go.

Tyrone and Sky made a plan to get into the building, but Cory didn't listen to it. He walked right into the lab when they got there, despite Tyrone and Sky's protests. Cory then walked straight into a trap, and was captured by Eggman's robots. They also got Tyrone and Sky as they tried to escape.

They were locked into a cage above a pot of boiling acid. Doomed.

"Good job, Cory. First you ruin our lives and now we're dead," Sky said, swinging his budder sword around. The robots didn't see swords as real weapons.

"S-sorry mister…" Cory sobbed and fell to the floor of the cage, hot streams of tears flowing down his face. He had betrayed his heroes, this was the worst day of his life. Cory began weeping harder and harder until a blue blur flew across the room. Cory looked up at the blur, amazed.

"Sonic?!" Cory shouted as the cage fell onto solid ground and broke apart. The blue blur slowed down, revealing it as none other than Xerath, again. Cory looked at her disappointed and began crying again. He had wanted Sonic.

Xerath disappeared and Tyrone and Sky searched for a ship, leaving Cory behind. Eventually they found it: the egghawk. The YouTubers jumped in and grabbed Cory. They flew out of the laboratories and into the setting sun, heading towards the only beacon of life on this miserable Earth: Japan.


	11. The Fedora Part III

Without further ado, the season one finale.

"Oceans go on forever like the endless void that is hell…"

Cory muttered as they flew across the ocean. The egghawk was incredibly slow, about 50 miles per hour, and they had been flying for days. It didn't help that the cockpit was small and only meant for one person. Fortunately, it was meant for Eggman, who was very fat. Unfortunately, Cory was almost as fat as Eggman.

After 5 days, they reached an island. Cory got excited, believing they were in Japan. Sky got out, saying some word in another language. Tourists were everywhere. They had taken over these islands. Cory cried as he saw the cheap souvenirs and shirts being sold overpriced. They were in Hawaii.

Cory hid in the egghawk as Sky and Tyrone walked through the islands. Cory felt useless without his sword. He could picture it in his head, the cold metal blade, perfectly smooth. The silver tint it had as it reflected the sun. He pictured the hilt, covered in cloth wrappings. The black cloth felt like heaven against his hands, as if it wrapped itself around him, rather than the other way around. The light that shone from the blade gave him a feeling of warmth he had never felt before. The blade was perfect, no other words could describe it.

Eventually, Sky and Tyrone came back to the egghawk, and they began the 6 day journey to Japan. Water covered a lot of the area they had gone, it was almost as if over half the earth was covered in water. Eventually, Cory began to feel as if water was everything he had ever seen.

The entire world was water. Cory felt that land didn't exist. If land didn't exist, what was the purpose? No one could live in the water. Swimming forever was impossible. He needed to end it all.

Cory jumped onto the side of the egghawk and jumped, only to be pulled back in by Sky. He couldn't even escape this hell on Earth. Then he saw it: a landmass he could only describe as magnificent. The land was a dusty color, as if something had destroyed the entire country. Cory jumped out and grabbed a handful of the soil, it was chalky and fell through his fingers easily.

"If I could find a souvenir, just to prove the world was here…" Cory said, looking to the sky expectantly.

"So what exactly are we looking for here?" Sky asked, pulling out his budder sword.

"The fedora."

"The fedora?"

"The fedora."

Cory began walking in a random direction, Sky and Tyrone reluctantly following. The ruins of a city lying on the ground untouched. What had happened here? The ground sunk as they walked, their feet becoming engulfed in the chalky dust.

Hearing a large bang, they ran toward it, finding a small cave. A silhouette went into it as they ran towards it. They reluctantly entered the cave, finding most of it had collapsed before. It appeared to be a mineshaft from before.

"This is just like minecraft!" Cory shouted, running down the shaft. The others nodded in agreeance.

They came across a small bunker looking base, with a skeleton on the bed. Nothing could live long within this wasteland. Nearby, Cory found a journal. He hoped it brought answers with it.

October 9, 1965: A bag of balloons was released into the air by Japanese citizens 5 months ago, causing the United States to detect what they thought was a missile. As a response, a new experimental weapon was tested on Japan, which completely wiped out the entire nation, turning it to dust. Luckily, I was below the ground in a mine, unharmed. But I have no food, I will starve. Japan is gone. The greatest country on Earth has been destroyed. The things forgotten by time are tragic, and nothing will bring them back after they are forgotten.

Cory stared at the journal, not understanding what it was saying. He moved on and continued through the mine, Sky and Tyrone discussing minecraft behind him. The mines shook as what sounded like a helicopter passed them by.

"They are here.." Cory said, thinking about the gang.

"Who are here?" Sky asked.

"The creepypasta gang…"

"I once reviewed a creepypasta mod in minecraft!"

Cory ignored him, moving toward the exit of the cave at an incredibly fast speed, or a light jog for most people. They were blinded by the light as they came out, looking out at the valley before them. The entire valley was as green as could be, waterfalls flowing down into a freefall. Trees of every color covered the landscape, giving the entire valley a beautiful look. In the center of the valley was a large, old japanese style monastery. Cory and the gang approached it, looking at the entrance suspiciously.

They decided to enter. That was a bad idea. As they entered the building, samurai jumped out from every side, an entire army appearing. They had the faces of dead people. Their skin peeling away like paint. They seemed to be immortal, and Cory now knew why the guy in the cave had died. They all held up dark colored katanas.

Sky jumped at them with his budder sword, fighting bravely as Tyrone fought with a large feather duster he had brought along. Cory jumped back, unarmed and weak. Suddenly, Newt ran up, holding Cory's katana.

"Here, man, you forgot this."

"How did you find us?"

"You have a gps chip in your head."

Cory was in big trouble if the president knew he had been here. Cory turned as he grabbed the sword seeing the battle before him.

Tyrone fought bravely, but was ultimately overpowered by the samurai. They chopped his feather duster in half, causing him to drop it. Tyrone looked at them in horror as they inserted their swords into him, causing him to die. Sky didn't do much better, he was beheaded due to his budder sword breaking.

Cory screamed and held up his sword, shining light across the entire valley. The samurai turned in awe as they saw the sword, and fell to their knees in humble servitude. This was the army of the chosen one, meant to protect the fedora from evil forces. The two samurai who had killed Sky and Tyrone stood up, and committed seppuku, having betrayed the chosen one. Soon, they'd be frozen in hell.

Sky and Tyrones bodies were placed next to each other in the river, and pushed away into the unknown. Cory and Newt entered the monastery, being led by the samurai's general. They followed him into a large room with a single hole at the end of it. A hole meant to insert a katana into.

Cory cautiously walked to the hole and took his katana out, turning to the general. The general nodded, flakes of skin falling off his face as he moved. Cory thrusted the sword into the hole, the sound of metal echoing across the chamber. The wall around The sword disappeared, leaving only a small pedestal with a fedora on it.

Approaching the pedestal with great care, Cory grabbed the fedora with both hands and lifted it to his head. The fabric meshed perfectly with his head, slowly lowering into place. The slick blackness of the had seemed to shine within the entire building. His long hair blew through the wind as the fedora fit itself on his head. The radiance of the fedora was too much for anyone mortal, anyone who wasn't special. The strip of fabric around the hat shone in the sunlight slowly falling through the open roof of the building. Cory felt a new feeling he had never felt before: happiness.

It was short lived, though, as the ground began to shake and Jeff the killer fell down through the roof.

"Fool!," he said, batting his crazy looking eyes, "you just allowed the creepypasta gang into your monastery, hahahah!"

The hat seemed to have let the shield that protected the monastery from outsiders dissipate, leaving them out in the open. Jeff took his knife out quickly, jumping at Cory with lighting speed. The fedora and Cory's katana seemed to connect. Forming a bond between Cory, the hat, and the sword. A trinity.

Cory's eyes glowed with passion, causing a wind to swirl around him, blowing his hair dramatically. Cory matched Jeff's speed as he ran toward the pale man. Jeff blocked the attack, but was quickly overpowered by the might of Cory's blade. Cory tore Jeff to pieces.

Newt stared in awe at Cory, but felt something within himself hoping to break out as well. The samurai general approached Newt, and held out his hand, touching it to Newt's forehead. Newt felt an awakening, he began to float off the ground as the general blew away as dust. Newt glowed with silver light and began to fly higher toward the ceiling. He closed his eyes, and was engulfed by the light. He then fell to the ground, but not as a human.

Newt looked down at himself, and knew he was no longer Newt. He was Silver the Hedgehog. As a child, Silver had been taken away by Dr. Robotnik and brought to Earth from his home planet of Eroch, where all the hedgehogs live. Silver was then forced to do tests for a shady organization and became Newt, the slightly off human. His memory was erased, and Silver was lost to time. Until now.

Cory and Silver nodded to each other, and moved onward to the next room, where the rake and eyeless Jack awaited them. Silver used his psychic powers to move the katanas around the room and slice Jack up. Cory charged at the rake and obliterated him in a single sweep of his cold steel katana.

The two headed outside, where they defeated the remaining creepypasta gang characters. As they finished the last one off, slenderman and a hooded figure swooped in. Silver and Cory were entangled in tentacles by the slenderman. The hooded figure removed his robes, revealing himself as Jake the killer: Cory's OC creepypasta.

Cory screamed as he was once again taken to the dream world. He awoke in a dark world filled with floating pillars.

"What do you want from me?!" Cory cried desperately.

"We need the fedora. You cannot thwart our plans."

Slenderman dropped Cory's sword to the ground as a bubble with the fedora appeared above them. Cory took a steady stance. Inside this dimension, the candle universe, Slenderman could be hurt.

Slenderman sent a barrage of tentacles at Cory, who in turn swung his katana, cutting most of them off. Cory jumped to the side and ran with his arms behind his back to gain more speed. He ran around the creature and jumped above him, slicing him in two.

The man melted away, leaving Jake the killer behind. Jake, the master of illusions, had taken the form of slenderman. Cory turned to the left, then the right and saw Slenderman standing over him, tentacles ready. Cory ran from the man, his head aching with great pain. Slenderman pursued him as he jumped to another platform, running the superior way.

Cory slid as he turned, holding his katana at the ready, the two dueled on the platform, showing their skills as Slenderman used his tentacles and Cory used his katana. Suddenly, Slenderman put away his tentacles, and drew his katana, a blade of darkness. A steel made of the deepest, darkest black ever known.

Cory charged the man, sweeping his sword across the man's chest, which was dodged and countered with a kick. Cory got up and swung his katana toward the legs, which was once again blocked. The battle lasted hours, days, even years to Cory. They fought forever, never upping the other. Eventually, Cory grabbed the fedora and entered his seppuku form, his eyes glowed as he charged at slenderman, swinging his sword diagonally toward the darkness katana. The two blades collided, evenly matched. Cory's eyes shone, and Slenderman knew it was already over. The darkness blade crumbled under the pressure, and Cory's katana moved quickly towards Slenderman, piercing his heart.

"P-please listen…" Slenderman said, dying, "your leader- he is n-not…"

Slenderman was cut off as Cory slashed him again, effectively ending him forever. Cory awoke in front of the monastery, surrounded by Slenderman's blood. The entire world seemed to stay still as Cory grabbed the fedora, and once again put it on. The valley was once again at peace. Cory ran over to Silver, and helped him up.

"We did good today, man," Silver said, looking around.

"Yes we did, but it's not over yet, there's still so many questions we have!"

"Yeah man, like where did the samurai army go?"

"And who was that girl from my dreams…" Cory was cut off as the spirit of a blue girl flew down and landed in front of them. She was wearing a kimono and looked like a japanese queen. She smiled upon them.

"I am Saeko, the empress of Japan. For years, I have been trapped by a malevolent demon, but I am now free. I must warn you, though, that the demon is still free, though I cannot tell you who the demon is." She floated closer, "you must listen. My real name, Xerath, is also the name of my people. Not the Japanese, but my original people. Long ago. The planet of Xerath was populated by the Xerath, a group of strong, advanced, blue people. These people were the strongest in the galaxy, until they were forced to move away from their home planet due to an attack by Dr. Robotnik. The doctor destroy Xerath, and many Xerath's were killed in the war. After, the remaining Xerath's moved to earth, and now live in a spaceship that constantly orbits Earth. You humans call this "the moon." This is all I can tell you now, please, look out for this demon, Cory."

The blue lady disappeared, causing Cory and Silver to look at the sky with hope. They would find the leader of this creepypasta gang and they would track down the demon that imprisoned Saeko. The world depended on it.

Meanwhile, in Germany, Hitler was meeting with his three comrades, the bus driver, Kanye East, and the leader of the creepypasta gang. Hitler was now fully human, thanks to the work of Kanye East and Cory in hell.

"We shall attack soon, and we will leave no survivors in DC!" Hitler said, laughing. The end was near.

Hey guys, just wanted to apologize for the wait, I've been busy but I've been working a lot on season two so it should come out faster. Thanks!


	12. Awakening

Welcome to season 2. These chapters are probably going to be shorter, but it will be longer in the long run.

-Jay

/

Cory woke with a start, his head pounds with anxiety. He dreamt of the battle between him and the Creepypastas. Though he had won, he now knew how big of a threat the opposition was. Cory knew something big was going to happen today. Something monumental. Cory grabbed his fedora and his katana and bolted out the door, running towards the president's office, not even stopping for a drink as he went.

The president was up and staring out the window, looking at the moon on this starless night. Soon he would turn around and face Cory. He turned around to face Cory.

"it's over." he simply said.

Cory knew what he meant: the resource wars. As time went on, oil became rarer and rarer. Now Europe and the Middle East were warring over it. It had ended now.

"who won, senpai?"

The president sighed and looked down, "Europe and the Middle East are decimated, but now are under one ruler: Adolf Hitler."

Now everything made sense. Hitler had sent everything to attack him in order to wipe out the last resistance against him. Cory was the final obstacle in his way.

Cory nodded gravely at the president and walked away. His inner voice had awoken. The fedora spoke to him with telepathy. It told him of his past, Cory was the final chain of a reincarnation. He was the last guardian of earth.

Throughout his life, Cory knew he was special. Now he knew why. He was the direct descendant of both Abraham Lincoln and napoleon. He had the blood of both the Pharaohs and the Caesars. He now knew why he never had parents: the earth and the sun cause him to reform every 100 years. The old chef, his father, was only a false prophet.

Cory sat down and began to mumble in Japanese. He hadn't asked for this. This was not what he wanted. The fedora began to glow as he reached toward the wall. He quickly moved his arm away and the glowing stopped. Something was in that wall. He quickly slashed the wall with his katana, causing it to fall. Inside, there was a diamond shaped emerald that glowed with power. It was a chaos emerald. One of the seven that were used to form super sonic. Cory grabbed it and stared with awe at its majesty. It was amazing.

Cory closed his eyes and looked into the emerald. It showed him visions: Hitler was soon going to take on his true form. Soon he would disguise himself as an alien and trick shadow the hedgehog to kill the president. He had to warn shadow. But first, he had to find shadow.

Cory knew now what he must do: form a diverse, progressive team of useless idiots to take down the aliens and save shadow from Hitler.

It was now time for war. And Cory knew it would be the greatest battle in history.


	13. Loss

The wind blew Cory's long auburn hair as he walked through the woods outside Washington DC. The distant sounds of chirping caused him to feel at ease, the stars shooting across the sky like a million angels flying toward the ground. A new age had begun.

Cory's new objective was to find espio the chameleon, a trained ninja and a great adversary that would be vital to their success. He knew that the chaos emeralds would be needed to defeat Hitler, he just didn't know where to find them.

Espio was last seen in the forest outside of Washington DC, after he ran away due to the agony of vector the crocodile's death. Ever since he had been living as a recluse.

Cory looked toward the center of the forest, thinking about Japan. No, Cory thought, Japan doesn't exist. He knew from personal experience. He pushed on. Fueled by his emptiness.

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard behind him, and a shotgun shell flew past his face.

"Death to the evil one, prepare to die eggman"

Cory dove behind a tree, dodging Espios bullets as the hit around him. As he fell, the chaos emerald flew out of his pocket and fell to the ground. He knew what he had to do. Cory jumped into the open and held up the stone, the entire area was filled with bright light. Espio dropped his gun and stared.

"ah, so it's you. I would've rather seen death." espio said, picking up his gun and resting it on his shoulder. Cory put down the chaos emerald and walked cautiously toward espio.

"I need you to help me stop Hitler." Cory said simply.

"why would I help you with that, Hitler did nothing wrong." Espio said edgily.

Cory nodded sadly, "but the president wanted him dead."

"Who cares what anyone wants?"

Cory thought it over, Espio sighed, "I'll help you if you can find Michael Jackson, the white one."

Cory nodded, "the best one."

Espio nodded and handed Cory a map. "this leads to Jackson's temple, now go."

Cory went right away. It led him to an alleyway in the middle of Detroit, he used the chaos emerald to teleport to the exact location. As he walked down the alleyway, he felt shivers down his spine, there was something here, something spooky. All of a sudden, a skeleton popped out and attacked Cory!

Cory got hit in the arm by the Skeleton, instantly marking him as a Skeleton virus carrier. Cory fell down to his knees, slowly becoming more and more skeletal, his arm became bones and it slowly went up toward his shoulder.

Suddenly, a chaos emerald fell into Cory's lap, instantly transforming him, his arm healed automatically and his skin became pure. Cory became ecstatic. The person who dropped the emerald did sick dance moves to kill both of the skeletons, instantly disintegrating them.

He looked up and saw that his savior was Michael Jackson, the legend. Michael used his magic dance moves to kill the last Skeleton. It was instantly destroyed.

Cory looked and saw mj, holding out his hand to help him get up.

"m-michael Jackson?!" Cory exclaimed.

"yes, it is I."

"I need your help to get a chameleon to help me. We need to stop Hitler."

"but why would you want to stop Hitler? "

Cory thought it over. "it doesn't matter, it's my destiny. Will you help me?"

Michael Jackson thought it over and nodded eventually, grabbing his fedora. Cory sighed as he grabbed both chaos emeralds and teleported them both back to espios forest.

Espio was hiding in the bushes, shooting at deer. They teleported behind him,causing him to shoot a tree, igniting the woods.

"we gotta get out!" Michael shouted as he ran.

"no! Charmy the bee is in there!" Espio shouted, Cory pulled him along and out of the woods. Espio cried for the first time in years.

As they escaped, the woods were completely destroyed... as was espios heart. This was the end of regular espio. Now he was a soulless heartless edge lord.

They walked through the charred woods later, looking for signs of Charmy.

They found him.

He was a pile of bones on the ground, completely black with soot. His face was the only thing that remained, and it formed a face of true horror. Espio grabbed it, but it instantly dissolved, destroying his last friend left forever.

Espio grunted and turned away, "he deserved it, I hated his voice."

Cory and Michael looked at him in shock. Espio walked away slowly, a scowl on his face, the rest of the group followed.

And thus began the descent of Espios hopes and dreams. He was a 20 something year old man with no friends and no wife. His life could now be described in a single word: loss.


	14. Depression

Now that they had three people and two chaos emeralds, Cory was feeling more confident in his mission. But they had another issue: food and money.

They had been using the money from a wallet they stole before, but now they had run out and were penniless.

They entered the grocery store, loaded with fake coupons and food stamps. They were getting the bare essentials to survive.

They picked up a few liters of soda, a bunch of chips, and lots of candy. As they entered the checkout line, Cory gasped dramatically. Behind the desk was none other than newt, Cory's longtime friend and the secret identity of silver. Last time Cory saw him was in Japan when they defeated the Creepypasta army. Now he looked clean and more professional. Though he looked less like a silver hedgehog.

"newt, hey its me! Remember?" Cory said, it had only been two months.

newt looked up, a sad expression on his face, "hello, welcome to [grocery store name]"

Cory stared wide eyed at newt, "newt, what happened to you?"

Newt shrugged and began checking them out. Nobody spoke for the rest of the transaction. After it was finished, cory and the gang left, only to stop at the doorway.

"we need to get newt on our team guys." Cory said.

"that loser, no way." espio replied.

"he's secretly silver the hedgehog."

"that loser, no way."

"we are going to follow him after work and see what changed."

Espio sighed and nodded while Michael sat silently. It was mutually decided.

They waited outside the door for three hours before newt walked out, holding keys. He walked to the left and toward the side of the building. The gang followed him there. Along the building was a parking lot, it had cars in it.

Newt got into a car and sat there, staring at the city from afar. He took out a bottle of water and began drinking it, bringing it to his mouth and pouring the liquid down his throat. The gang snuck up behind his car and listened in.

Newt sighed audibly as he looked at the moon, thinking of something Cory didn't know. He started his car and began to drive away, but Cory and the gang chased after him using the chaos emeralds to move faster while cloaking themselves from newts view for plot convenience.

"radioactive" began to play on the radio as they rode through the city, lights shining all around them underneath the moon. The city shone with a glow of the modern age, drowning out all darkness, yes still holding crime. Not even a city without darkness could drown out the darkness of the human race.

Newt drove toward the outskirts of town, past many abandoned buildings as he approached a large apartment building. This is where he parked. The gang hid in the bushes as the watched newt get out of his car. Soon after, he entered the building and went to a room.

"since when does newt live alone?" Cory whispered.

"he doesn't look mentally capable of living alone." espio replied.

They teleported into his room, looking at the depressing scene of a single bed apartment with a small bathroom and a mini fridge.

Newt sat, staring at the wall, hunched over with his water. He slowly took a sip, looking absolutely miserable.

"20 bucks says he kills himself," espio whispered.

"I need to do something about this," Cory said.

He dropped the emerald and walked toward newt. Newt didn't even react.

"what's going on newt?"

Newt stared blankly at the wall, not even acknowledging Cory.

Cory grabbed the chaos emeralds and began to read his thoughts which I guess it can do now.

Newt was alone in this world, his past as silver soon flooded into his mind after the battle in Japan, this caused his transformation to fail, turning him back into newt. After the government became interested in silver's psychic powers, he was forced into hiding as newt, but he also erased all of his mind and destroyed his training.

After remembering, newt realized that all he ever did was nothing compared to the feats silver had performed. Newt was a lonely useless sack of organs and liquids.

"newt, don't worry you can come with us," Cory said, not understanding any of what he just saw.

Newt shook his head, "I'm not giving up all this."

"too bad."

Cory then grabbed newt and pulled him out, forcing him to come with them. After destroying his car and canceling his rent, newts life was effectively destroyed. This forced him to join the gang.

The silver inside newt kept him going, confused about his identity, and discouraged by the many failed attempts to get a girlfriend, he went on sad and alone, even as he joined the gang, he wasn't part of the group. He was alone, as he always was and always would be.


	15. The Third Emerald

"Well here we are again," Cory said, facing the large building that was Eggmans laboratory. Last time they were here, they teamed up with minecraft youtubers to hijack a ship or something like that. The memories of the two now dead YouTubers haunted Cory, but not enough to make him feel anything.

A small lead led the gang to this area, someone had told them the lab ran on chaos power, that someone was none other than Chris, that one guy with the Sonic medallion. But a small complication prevented him from joining them on their raid.

Michael stared up at the building, looking at the height, which was tall. It was really tall, it went up quite a ways into the sky. It's hard to describe how tall it was but it wasn't as high as a skyscraper and it was taller than an average school.

Eggman robots with hammers guarded the doors and prevented trespassers from entering the building. There were also laser turrets and Mines scattered across the field in front of it. Getting past them would be tough.

Lucky for them, the chaos emerald could teleport them inside. The description was unnecessary.

As the teleported inside, they realized they were surrounded by robots. Cory took out his katana. The group was ready to fight.

"look at all those Eggman's robots." Michael said, screaming over the noise of the factory.

Espio used his ninja skills to kill a few robots, moving stealthily around them. He threw nunchucks at a few of the robots, instantly destruction them. Meanwhile, Michael used his sweet dance moves to kill the robots. As he swung his arms groovily, magic powder shot out, causing the robots to explode.

Cory jumped up and slashed at the robots, cutting them in two. Each robot was destroyed with precision and pristine. Newt sat there uselessly, not able to fight without the power of silver.

Suddenly, the robots stopped and began shaking. Espio stood back in horror as they watched the robots break into pieces as the formed into one giant robot. It was large and red, with Claws on its hands. It moved slowly, it's arms blocking its only weak point. It was the death egg robot!

Cory screamed as he put on his hat, entering his seppuku form. His eyes glowed yellow with rage as his katana became bright white. He charged at the robot, bringing his blade up as he jumped and sliced downward, but he was flung back by the spikes on its hands. This fight would not be easy.

Espio threw shurikens at the robot, but they could not pierce its armor. He used his nunchucks to hit at its arms, but it was no use, the robot seemed invincible. Even Michael's magic dance moves couldn't harm the being.

"newt, you gotta go silver!" Cory shouted over the clangs of the battle.

"I can't. I don't have the power!" newt shouted, sitting there uselessly.

Cory cried out with rage as he activated seppuku form again, his sword grew to the size of a medium sized bus. He had entered seppuku due form. His eyes glowed with rage and malice as the world around him became a blur. All he could see was his target: the robot.

He jumped off the ground onto the robot, slashing at all of its parts, only scratching the paint off of it. Even seppuku due wasn't enough to destroy the death egg robot.

Static played over the intercom, "hahaha ha i knew you ship sealers would return, now it's time to kill you once and for all. Not even the sharpest blade can beat my death egg robot mark twenty!" Eggman shouted over the intercom.

"what about mental powers? Not that we have any except for mine" espio shouted at Eggman.

"u-uh no those won't uh work."

"silver you idiot, get out of that depressing, worthless shell." espio shouted at newt.

Newt sighed, then he remembered something. He used to work at pizza hut when he was silver, he used to sigh all the time. Him sighing awoke something inside him. He closed his eyes as he transformed into silver, the power of psychokinesis flowed through his nerves. He closed his eyes and looked into the robot, seeing every feature of it in plain view. He was able to rearrange the wires inside of the robot to cause it to malfunction.

The robot punched itself many times before falling over into a pile of parts. Silver opened his eyes, turning back into newt instantly. He had done it. His head ached with a million volcanos as he became newt again.

"silver, why'd you turn back into newt? You didn't do enough." Cory said.

Everyone else congratulated newt except Cory and espio, so it was just Michael. Even though newt was still miserable, he felt a little bit of hope inside as he stared into the facility.

"guys stop wasting time, I need to get that chaos emerald." Cory said.

The rest of the gang followed reluctantly. They followed Cory into the main reactor chamber, seeing the chaos emerald inside a pedestal in the center. Looking down, they could see the bridges that went across the room were above a large pit that went down many miles. Cory began walking across the bridge toward the emerald, suddenly Eggman popped out of nowhere with his hovercraft, aiming a gun at Cory.

"end of the line, trespasser." he said, hand on the trigger.

"jokes on you, Eggman. I can't die." Cory yelled as Eggman shot him in the head. Cory's head blew into a million pieces graphically, it left even espio shocked. But just at that moment, the chaos emerald flew to Cory and reversed time, taking him back 7 seconds.

"jokes on you, Eggman. I can't die." Cory said as he jumped onto Eggman's ship and stabbed it with his Katana. The ship along with Cory fell into the abyss. Once again the chaos emerald activated and brought them back 7 seconds.

"jokes on you Eggman. I can't die." Cory said as he dodged the bullet and threw his Katana at the ship. It exploded along with the entire building. Killing them all. The chaos emerald activated again, taking them back seven seconds.

"jokes on you Eggman. I can't die." Cory said as he grabbed the chaos emerald and ran back to his friends, then teleported away.

"this isn't the end!" Eggman shouted, unheard.

The group teleported back to Chris's house, where they greeted Chris with a warm welcome, except for espio and newt.

Chris had been working on his medallion, fixing all the kinks it had and refining its powers. But that isn't what he stayed behind for. He had grown seven hundred pounds since their last adventure.

Chris greeted them back and put on his medallion.

"Hey guys, welcome back." he said as he grabbed a beer. He was now an alcoholic.

Espio left, believing alcohol to be the bane of Jesus and also because it smelled horrible in that apartment. Chris didn't mind the smell, it was his own smell and he didn't even notice it anymore.

"hey Chris, what's going on?" Michael said, not having nostrils to smell.

"nothing stop talking so much micycle." Chris replied, using Michael's lesser known first name.

"what's our next target, mister?" Cory said to Chris.

"Nevada. Area 51 is the place. They have a chaos emerald there, but this one provides a shield and holds the power to null all other chaos emerald effects. Be warned. You cannot teleport, change your appearance, or distort time within its boundries." Chris replied.

"how will we ever get in, then?"

"with the help of lara croft. The adventurer and my future girlfriend."

Cory nodded, believing that it may happen someday. They decided to meet lara in Nevada, where she was currently being held in prison for trying to break into area 51.


	16. Area 51

Getting to Nevada was a breeze, getting into the prison was harder. The prison sat within boundaries covered in barbed wire. Past that, guard dogs roamed, watching every move. Even further, laser security and cameras watched the doors.

Luckily they had espio, a natural expert at stealth. Even without the second chaos emerald, which changes appearance, he could slip by anything unnoticed. Unfortunately Cory was the overweight and loud. They were caught in minutes. Thrown into a single cell, everyone glared at Cory except Michael because he was pure of heart.

Espio caught sight of Lara, who was in a cell across the room, passed out. They searched the room for a way to get out, but were unable to find one. They decided to wait it out.

Some time later, espio looked out after hearing a Commotion. Across the way, a guard had entered paradise cell, but it looked like Lara had escaped and let the other prisoners out, who beat the guards to death.

"now is the time." espio said, moving over to a Crack in the wall and pulling the panel out, revealing a passageway, "let's go, losers."

Cory gasped with excitement and pushed espio out of the way, moving into the hole. Espio grunted and followed him, the others close by.

Meanwhile, an airship approached area 51, holding none other than the bus driver. He now was a zeppelin driver, but bus driver is still his name.

"sir, I'm in position."

"good," Hitler said over the intercom, "now wait."

The bus driver soluted, though Hitler couldn't see him. He put the zeppelin in hover mode and sat back, reading his book about bus's.

Back in the prison, the gang made it out of the tunnels and found themselves in a courtyard filled with crates which in turn were filled with something they didn't know because they weren't open.

They saw lara get into a truck and they stealthily snuck over to the truck, only getting caught once. They killed the guard who caught them. They jumped in after Lara, only narrowly avoiding her gunfire.

"don't worry. We are after the chaos emerald too." Cory said, too loud.

"shh, you mean the infada stone?" she replied in her British accent.

"no. I'm looking for the chaos emerald. It's in area 51."

Lara ignored him.

Soon the truck began to move. It went straight into area 51. Cory looked through all the crates, but there was only bags of organs. Nothing useful here.

Cory and the gang got out in a storage area, avoiding the drivers of the truck.

"here we are, the final frontier." Cory said, putting his arms to the sides.

"what does that even mean?" espio said.

Cory shrugged and began walking forward, only to be stopped by Lara, who pointed to lasers on the ground. Shaking her head, she jumped straight over them and did a roll, landing upright. The rest of the gang were spellbound and amazed, except for espio, who could easily do that. He proved this by perfectly mimicking the jump, but without the roll, and landed in a crouch.

Espio glared at Lara. A rivalry had begun.

The rest of the gang got over the jump, except for Cory, who could hardly get off the ground.

"don't worry, I got this." Cory said, taking out a chaos emerald and putting it in front of the laser. Everyone protested as the laser was broken into a million others and reflected across the room. One beam hit newt, and it was all over. The alarms rang and guards began advancing, guns at the ready.

Cory took out his Katana as espio and Micheal took ready positions. Newt sat there uselessly. Lara unholstered her pistols and pointed them at the guards.

Espio jumped up onto the ceiling and began blending in with the panels. As he went across, he threw shurikens at the guards below, piercing their armor and causing them to lose control, some even began openly firing at their fellow guards.

Lara jumped over a guard, shooting at him as she went above him, instantly killing him. She dodged a few bullets and began firing rapidly at the guards, killing many of them.

Michael disco danced around them, turning them into piles of dust. He moonwalked backwards and threw his Fedora at the guards remaining, killing many of them. Only one remained. Cory killed him with his Katana.

"come on, we need to move." espio shouted, running away.

"since when is he in charge?" Cory did said as the rest followed espio. He reluctantly followed suit.

They made their way through the base, killing guards as they went along. Eventually they came across a large room with three doors. Suddenly, a large man with two machine guns jumped down and landed before them.

"stop right there, I'm that one guy from wolfenstein 3d and I'm gunna kill you." he said.

"let's do this, guys." Michael said.

"no. I'm going to kill him to prove my worth." Cory said, taking out his Katana and putting on his Fedora. He entered his seppuku form, running along and avoiding the machine gun fire. Cory entered seppuku due, becoming even more powerful. He slashed at the man, cutting off both of his hands in the process.

Cory entered seppuku tre, a purple aura surrounding him. He began slashing at the man as he screamed in agony. The rest of the gang watched in horror as Cory massacred the man. After what felt like hours, Cory stabbed the man's heart, he let out one last cry as he died. The room around him covered in blood and… body parts.

"let's go." Cory said. The rest followed him, still in total shock. What had Cory become?

They discovered a large chamber that was very dark, so dark they couldn't see a thing. They felt around with their hands, trying to find a light switch. Espio could see in the dark, so he had no problem getting through.

Eventually they all made it to a side room where they found a switch. Flipping it, they were spellbound by the sight of aliens on lab tables, some of them were obviously experimented on and cut open. Everyone was shocked except for espio, who already knew of aliens existence.

As they searched the area, they discovered yet another strange sighting: orca whales in a large tank. Nobody knew what to think of it, even espio was somewhat confused by it. But they decided to stop caring.

Eventually they located a spacecraft, probably one that crashed landed with the aliens. They made their way inside only to find more guards.

"heh, no problem." espio muttered as he began killing the guards. Lara followed suit, using gymnast moves to avoid the gunfire. They battled it out, trying to one up each other. Eventually all the guards were gone.

Cory climbed up stairs to find the fourth chaos emerald: null. He grabbed it as Michael began messing with the ship controls. Eventually he got it working and they flew the ship out of there, heading back toward DC. Suddenly, though, the airship appeared and caught them in a tractor beam. Troopers swung out of the ship, carrying saws that they used to cut through the spacecraft. The cockpit soon became flooded with troopers, who each carried a light blade. Cory took out his katana, taking three troops at once as he dodged and slashed at them. One of them did an overhead swipe, which Cory dodged, but he fell back into another one of the troops, who slashed cory's arm, blood soon soaked the clothes covering his arm, but Cory fought back. Using his katana, he did a broad swing and caught all three in the same hit, crumbling them down to the floor.

Michael and newt fought with the controls, trying to get the ship away from the airship while espio and Lara shot and sliced at the troops respectively. It looked like they were going to win.

Unfortunately, that was short lived as the ceiling collapsed and a giant mech holding the bus driver fell in.

"you again!" Cory shouted, reminded of his horrible time in Iowa.

"yes, it's me you cockroach. You just won't die will you?! But now, you'll be powerless." as he said this, he activated another tractor beam, this one sucking the fourth emerald into a socket in the mech's chest, "this mech amplifies the power of the emerald, making it not only null the power of the emeralds, but also the abilities of all of you."

Espio instantly felt less athletic, while Michael lost his swag. Cory was the worst, as he lost his appearance change. Newt stayed the same.

Bus driver laughed as he watched his enemies become powerless. Cory ran up with his sword, slashing, but it was no use. He put on his Fedora, and tried to enter seppuku form, but it was to no avail. He couldn't even enter his due or tre forms without the appearance change.

Espio looked over at Lara, "maybe instead of competing, we should work together."

Lara nodded as she got in a ready position. Espio followed suit. They charged the robot, guns and shurikens at the ready. Lara gave espio a boost in leaping up, to which he smashed the glass on the mech's helmet. Lara, meanwhile, shot at the wires that could be seen within the joints of the robot, instantly destroying the legs.

The bus driver became angry and initialized his missile attacks, shooting missiles out of his back at the two. Espio narrowly dodged them, causing them to hit the robot's arm instead, breaking it off. Lara was less lucky as she was hit with a missile.

"arrrg! You bothersome fools! You'll see me again someday." the bus driver said as he detached the legs from the mech and flew back to his airship, flying away with the emerald.

Without the tractor beam, the ship began falling toward the ground, crashing and burning as it crash landed. Everyone coughed as the dust settled.

"why don't I get the spotlight anymore!?" Cory shouted as he came to.

Espio got up and looked around, seeing Lara laying on the ground looking very pale.

"Lara…"

"e-espio"

"hang in there Lara."

"espio… I want to live in a world without nazi…"

"Lara, there is no world without nazis, it's only a fantasy."

"i know… but I want to believe."

"lara"

Lara sighed as she closed her eyes forever.

"Lara?" espio said shaking her, everyone stared at him with varying emotions.

Espio picked up Lara and screamed.

"no! This can't be happening. There's no reason for me to go on. Wha-.. What am I fighting fooooor?!"


	17. Trials of Newt

Newt sighed as he walked down a trail behind the gang, not knowing where they were going both metaphorically and literally. The sky shown bright blue without a cloud in sight, the trees a tint of gold as the season turned to fall.

The scene would have been beautiful, of it wasn't for the looming depression that haunted newt. He was lonely, afraid, and betrayed, both by his friends and himself. Newt knew he couldn't go on like this much longer. He would need to kill himself soon if things didn't change.

As they walked, a vortex appeared in the sky and newt was taken away by it suddenly. The others went on, either not knowing or not caring.

The world spun around newt as the wormhole took him to another time. The future became the past and time became a wavelength. The illusion of reality was breifly revealed to newt, he was awestruck.

He landed in the ruins of a city. The buildings either collapsed or broken beyond repair. The sky was filled with smoke and rubble rained down every now and then. Dystopia reigned.

"who the heck are you?" a voice said from behind newt, he quickly turned around to face a pink cat. It was blaze the cat. Memories flooded back into newts mind as he saw her.

"blaze…"

"don't have a heart attack you loser. Where's silver, my wormholes never fail."

Newt sighed and pointed to himself, "silver is dead. He transformed himself into me in order to hide from the feds."

"ah, gross."

Newt sighed and looked at the horizon.

"silver used to sigh like that, I think silver is inside of you after all. You'll just need training." blaze said, grabbing a whip.

Newt gulped as music began to play as the scene shifted.

 _I need a hero_

Newt climbed up and down stairs as blaze timed him, shaking her head in disapointment.

 _I'm holding out for a hero til the end of the night_

Newt stood at the edge of a building, blaze encouraging him to jump across to another building.

 _He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast_

Newt held his hand out toward a can, attempting to move it with his mind

 _And he's gotta be something something_

Newt stood at the edge of the building, jumping to the other building with his eyes closed. He screamed as he scraped his knee.

 _I need a hero_

Newt closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, tipping the cam over.

 _I'm holding out for a hero til the end of the night_

Newt fell to the ground, exhausted from all the training. The music stopped.

"you've made no progress at all." blaze said, "what happened last time you turned into silver?"

"the first time it happened, a Munk awoke him within me. The second I was concentrating really hard."

"what happened to kill the transformation?"

"I lost confidence that I was silver," newt said, "maybe I need you to kiss me in order to transform!"

Blaze slapped him, "I thought you were gay!"

"no, there's no gay people in this world."

"oh right, youre from the other dimension."

Newt stood up and stared at blaze.

"ugh whatever but if it doesn't work I'm giving up on you."

Newt began moving closer, blaze kept herself from moving away, looking as if she were going to throw up. Newt embraced her awkwardly as he moved closer.

Suddenly he turned into silver, blaze instantly shoved him away in disgust. She was free from the disgusting loser.

"ugh well I guess you're back." she said.

"yeah, but for how long?" blaze shrugged, "anyway, why did you call me here?"

"I needed to tell you that Hitler Eggman has reawoken." just the name brought back memories from his past. Silver had fought Hitler Eggman in the past when he was turning all the juice in the world to gas. Now the madman was back.

"we need to fight him."

"yeah about that, I'm too frail and weak due to budget cuts to fight him so you'll have to do it alone." she said, waving her hand around.

Silver sighed. He knew he had to do this alone. He climbed mount Eggman and broke into the capitol, killing everything in sight. He used his telekinesis to rearrange their organs and kill them. He was a being of pure energy. Eventually he got to Hitler Eggman, who started laughing as he walked in.

"heh, nothing personal kid." he laughed as he pulled out the longest katana known to man. He turned around and revealed his evil face. He teleported behind silver and kicked him in the back of the head. Silver instantly fell down. Silver did a spin kick and knocked over the madman, bringing them both to the floor. They slapped at each other, trying to bruise the others face.

"snooping as usual I see?" Hitler Eggman said as he pointed to the door.

"nah, I'm just watching this pathetic excuse for a fight." blaze said from the doorway.

Silver got up using his telekinetic powers and began punching the absolute madman in the face, breaking his glasses. Looking at his face, he saw the man was blind.

"I cannot fight the blind." silver said, bowing his head.

Blaze began to boo as Hitler Eggman got up and began beating silver to a pulp. Silver stood there and took it. Blaze laughed at this.

He (hilter Eggman) went in for the final blow but was burned to death by blaze in an instant.

"sick burn, blaze" silver said.

"shut up you illiterate sad excuse for a life form who is a disgrace to even his mother if he even had a mother." blaze said, walking away.

Silver sighed and followed her. It was then that she turned around glaring at him and sent him back to the rest of the gang.

"woah is that silver?" Michael said innocently.

Espio groaned as silver approached the group.

"where have you been?" Cory asked.

"I met someone."

"was it your girlfriend?"espio teased.

"n-no"

"oh right, you don't have the capabilities to attain a girlfriend, even if you liked girls."

"b- but I don't see you with a girlfriend!"

"I'm sure we'll run into a girl soon enough who will spawn a dramatic fight between me and another guy who joins our group later." espio said, looking to the sky.

No one could argue with that.


	18. Zero

The gang continued moving toward Chicago, their chaos emeralds still drained of energy because of the fourth chaos emerald. None of them could teleport or change their appearance because of this. They were stuck doing it the old fashioned way.

Chicago is said to be the location of the fifth chaos emerald. This is why they were heading to Chicago, in order to get the fifth chaos emerald they heard was in Chicago.

Next to nothing could stop them, until a vortex opened from the sky and blaze popped out of it. Everyone was shocked except espio, who merely grunted and kept moving.

"blaze? Why are you here?" silver said ad he stepped forward.

Blaze shook her head and silver moved back, "I was told an evil spirit has awakened in this world by the light God in my dimension. Apparently someone freed him from the depths of hell."

Corys eyes went wide as he remembered his trip to hell with Kanye east. The person who freed him must have gone into hell after Cory.

Blaze grunted and stared at them, "it doesn't matter who did it, we'll figure that out later."

"who is this 'we.' Right now we already have enough losers to run the entire fashion industry," espio said, glaring.

"well then." blaze responded crossing her arms.

"do you have any special skills?" Cory asked, tipping his Fedora.

"I can conjure fire and-"

"you're in"

Espio rolled his eyes at Cory, now even more incompetence could stupidity would follow him around. But it wasn't like he had anyone else to be with.

The gang continued onward into Chicago. They were amazed by the size of the city, except for espio who doesn't get surprised, as you probably already know.

Cory walked up to someone, asking for directions, "locale uh museumoso.. Wherea?"

"uh what?" the guy said, not knowing Spanish.

"where's the museum?" espio cut in.

"oh, I don't know, I'm looking for that as well. But Im not going with the likes of you." the man said, gesturing to most of them.

"understandable." espio cut in.

They parted ways and began asking random people, no one knew where the museum was. Did the museum even exist?

Eventually, they went up the sears tower and looked for it. Using his excellent vision, espio was able to spot it.

"great, let's go," blaze said.

"hmmph, don't act like you're in charge, princess." espio responded.

Blaze crossed her arms, but shut up. The gang exited the building and headed for the museum. As they entered, Michael and silver went straight to the gift shop. The rest continued onward.

"Chris said that the u boat they're holding here was powered by a chaos emerald." Cory stated.

"yeah, we know Cory." espio stated briefly.

They walked through the exhibits, looking for the u boat, as they walked, espio felt like they were being followed. He looked around cautiously, but didn't see anyone. He kept his guard up.

As they walked toward the u boat exhibit, they saw there were lots of people in the room. This wasn't good to Cory. They couldn't have witnesses to his awesome power.

They entered the ship and searched around for the emerald, but couldn't find it. Espio kept looking around for the source of his discomfort, but couldn't see anyone. They moved on toward the driver's area of the submarine, and saw a hatch leading to the reactor. Going down, they realized that the emerald must have been removed to stop the power the ship had. They exited the ship, but were met with a familiar face.

"looking for the emerald, eh? Well I can't let you give it to sigma," the man said.

"you! You were the guy I asked for directions. Who's sigma?" Cory asked.

"don't play dumb, mavericks. You are the servants of sigma. And you're about to get destroyed by none other than zero."

The screen faded to black.

Then it faded back in.

"you're about to get destroyed by none other than zero."

Cory gasped as he pulled out his z Saber. It was zero from mega man x! Cory drew his katana.

"I knew you were following us, I sensed it." espio said.

"heh, nice try, but with my stealth features I am all but invisible."

"maybe to reploids…"

Zero was taken aback by this statement. No one should know that word in this dimension.

"how do you know that word?" zero said, menacingly. Espio merely shrugged. Zero had come from the future in another dimension. In his dimension, Hitler didn't exist and his equivalent was a man named wily.

Zero charged at espio in anger, espio knew too much. He slashed his z Saber, but espio dodged with his stealth. He ducked and dove behind zero, throwing a shrunken. Zero jumped and dashed in mid air to dodge it.

Espio did a roll and threw three shurikens. Zero effortlessly slashed them with his sword and used his gun to shoot at espio. The battle lasted a while, each dodged the others attacks and neither landed a single hit. Eventually, both were exhausted, and they stood there panting, staring at each other.

"heh, not bad for a person of the past. " zero said.

"hmph, you don't even see it yet." espio shouted, "I'm from your time."

Everyone stood there shocked as they waited for him to elaborate. Zero grunted, smirking, "so that's were you went, ninja guy who I met one time."

"heh, after dramatically killing myself, I was able to transfer my consciousness into a living body, thus creating the ultimate ninja." espio said, smirking.

"well you didn't lose your skills."

"heh, dont flatter me."

"well can we find the emerald now that you guys are friends?" Cory interrupted.

"no, I cannot allow you to give the emerald to my f- I mean to Hitler." zero said.

"well that's good because we are fighting against Hitler," Cory said.

"prove it."

Cory pulled out the three chaos emerald they had acquired. Zero swiftly snatched them and dashed away.

"I cannot let these fall into the hands of Hitler!" zero shouted behind him.

Espio chased after him through the exhibits. Zero jumped over people using his super fighting robot powers. So did espio, but with his ninja powers or whatever. He was a badass either way. Zero slashed the elevator to the mining exhibit and slid down the side of the wall, espio jumped into a free fall down the shaft, throwing his grappling hook onto a bar at the top and sliding down to the bottom.

Zero dashed through the Mines, dodging equipment everywhere.

"you might be just as fast as me, but that isn't going to help you because I'm ahead of you." zero shouted behind him.

"too bad my shurikens defy this law." espio said as he thew a shuriken at the ceiling, causing the fake rocks to fall on zero.

Espio ran past him, grabbing the emeralds. He jumped onto the shuttle train just as it began to move. Conveniently, no one was on the train.

Espio sighed in relief, but his relief was only for a moment as zero jumped onto the other train car.

"persistent spawn of Hitler, give up already."

"again, we are not part of Hitlers clique." espio said, throwing his shuriken at his helmet. Zero easily slashed it in half.

Zero pushed him back to the end of the train. Espio looked around for options, and got an idea, he jumped off, grabbing the floor of the train and swinging underneath it, holding onto the bottom of the cart. Zero gasped in exclamation.

"you'll have to come out when the train stops, silly maverick," zero said as he sat down, waiting patiently.

"how about I come out before then," espio said as he swing from the top of the cart and kicked zero straight in the face. Zero fell forward, panting in surprise.

"heh, nice one. This isn't the last you'll see of me. I'll haunt you day and night. Inside and outside. Wherever you go, you'll see me." with that, he threw down a gas canister and teleported away.

Espio coughed as he walked away. He didn't know what the gas was but it was probably just a way of disguising himself as he got away. He ran back to Cory and blaze, who were just standing there uselessly.

"well, why didn't you look for the emerald?" espio said.

"oh, " Cory replied.

Espio sighed and began walking to museum storage. Cory and blaze followed him down and into the warehouse- like room. They found the emerald easily and began walking back. Suddenly, espio sighted something up his left. He threw a shuriken at it, but it only hit a lamp.

"what was that about?" blaze asked.

"there was something there."

"i didn't see anything." Cory said, looking around.

Espio looked around suspiciously. He had seen zero.


	19. Girls

The word brought terror to Cory. It was his number one fear, but also the thing he wanted the most. That thing was, of course, girls.

While espio was away fighting the red robot, Cory had been alone with blaze. That 10 minutes was the longest he's ever experienced. He didn't talk, she didn't want anything to do with him.

Cory cursed in Japanese at the thought of that day. Never again would that happen to him. Never again.

"blaze?" Cory asked.

"what." she snapped.

"how do I get girls?"

"shut up. No one wants to be with you."

Cory looked down and began to cry. His one dream would never come true. He could kill anything using his powers, but he couldn't slay his conscience. That didn't make sense but it still works.

Cory got up, and ran away into the woods, arms trailing behind him. He ran further than he knew he could. Further than the boundaries of space time could leave most. He just left and went into the city.

Cory was overwhelmed with the lights of the city at night. He must have walked miles, even light years just to get here based on how tired he was.

Espio and silver appeared behind him, not even Breaking a sweat.

"why'd you run off, man?" silver said, having regained his catchphrase.

"of course you're out of breath after running 20 yards, you fat loser." espio said, crossing his arms.

Cory looked behind him and saw that they weren't in the woods, they were just in a park and Cory had only run out of the park. Cory sighed, still out of breath.

"what did blaze say, man?" silver asked.

"n-nothing."

Cory began to walk away, not paying attention to where he was going. Silver gave espio a concerned look, espio glared at him, never make eye contact with espio.

Cory opened his eyes eventually, seeing he had wandered into a shopping mall.

Cory cursed in Japanese as he looked around, seeing females everywhere.

"this is just like the last time we went to the mall…" silver said, with worry.

"humph," espio said, crossing his arms.

Suddenly, Chad walked up to them. Chad had 500 girlfriends who lived in his mansion. He also had 20 wives and was filthy rich.

"dudes, I'm going to tell you the secret to dating." Chad said, whipping his hair back, "just be yourself."

Cory had a serious sense of Deja vu. It felt as if this had happened before. Chad then beamed up to his jet and flew away.

"well see you losers." espio walked away.

"Cory, didn't this happen before?" silver asked.

"hmm let me think… no."

"alright then, see anyone you like?"

Cory looked around for a girl, any girl who was in his league. Practically everyone there was below his league, what was he going to do?

"just pick one, I'll be over there." silver walked away, turning into newt.

Cory decided to grace one girl and walked up to her.

"h-hi!" cory shouted.

The girl looked at him with a disgusted look and walked away.

Cory knew she had only done that because she felt unworthy of him. He moved on to another girl.

"um… hi."

She turned to him and looked confused, "uh do I know you?"

"uh uh I wish you uh… knew me," Cory said, trying to flirt.

"what? Who are you?"

"I'm Cory i-in the house.. "

"wait, you're that guy from before who I told to get lost. You aren't 6'2" so you arent worthy of any girl." with that she walked away, leaving Cory disheartened.

He decided to check on the others to see if they were doing any better than him. Not that they were better than him. He chucked to himself as he thought this.

He walked up to espio, who was standing against a wall with his arms crossed.

"what in Tarantino are you doing, espio?" the fat boy asked.

"standing, I let the girls come to me." espio said, scowling.

"is it working?"

"it would be working if you weren't here."

Cory sighed and walked over to silver, who was sitting down at a table in the food court.

"how is your quest for girls going?" Cory asked him as he sat down.

"hmm, not so good. I'm using the newt tactic, man."

"whats that?"

"basically I stare at a girl until we make eye contact, then sometimes I maintain it and sometimes I quickly look away, man."

"hmm maybe I'll try that."

Cory started staring at a qt who was sitting alone. It took a few minutes, but she looked at him eventually. Cory held the eye contact as she got a disgusted look on her face and pulled out her phone, quickly dialing something.

"hey, I think mine is calling her dad to see if she can date me!" Cory exclaimed.

"wow, good job, man."

A few minutes later, a cop walked up to Cory and handcuffed him.

"sir, you're under arrest for stalking that girl." the cop said.

"dont worry, she's into it."

"she called me."

Cory felt betrayed, his heart broke in two as he walked away with the cop. They traveled in a police car many miles into the city. Cory looked out his window at the many people. All of them he had let down. All of them he had failed. Cory thought hard what he should do next, but couldn't think of anything.

"you're going to be behind bars for a long time, kiddo," the cop said.

"B-but I need to save the world from Hitler."

"haha like you could do anything to stop him."

Cory took our his Fedora and closed his eyes, "no, I cannot go to jail. I need to save the world."

"kid, what are you doing?"

"THIS IS WHO I AM." Cory screamed as he went into his seppuku form.

The lid of the car fell off as he rose out of it. He jumped away, landing on the lid and rode down an incline on top of it through the city.

"this is it. I need to go. I need to escape from the city." Cory said loudly as he slide down the inclines toward the park. He landed in front of the others, who had regrouped there.

"guys, we need to escape from the city. The cops are after me."

"finally we'll be free from him." espio commented.

Cory grabbed everyone and used his chaos emerald to teleport them away. Miraculously it worked. The emeralds were now fully charged again and could be used to progress the mission.

Cory opened his eyes, realizing they were in the middle of a desert. Across the plain sat a city. Then it hit Cory, they were near Vegas.

 **Chapter 18: six emeralds in hand**

They walked day and night, going toward the city. They needed to get to Vegas. The pyramid of Vegas held the key to the sixth chaos emerald. So far, they had 4 emeralds, one being taken by the bus driver.

The sixth emerald was fabled to have power over gravity.

"ah, Vegas. This is the where everything happens." silver said. Blaze rolled her eyes.

"I've been here before." Michael said timidly.

"shut up guys I'm trying to find the emerald." Cory shouted.

"we shouldve gotten transportation before going on this quest or whatever." espio complained.

"we do need transportation when we can teleport?" Cory asked.

"well, why arent we teleporting then?" espio said, crossing his arms.

"I love it when you get all angry," blaze said.

"shut up, cat."

Blaze shut up. Cory didn't have an answer to espio. He didn't want to use the emerald.

They walked toward the pyramid as they entered Vegas. The world around them shone with neon lights. Casinos appeared everywhere they walked. The walked right into the pyramid, Cory went to the desk.

"where is the chaos emerald?" Cory asked the clerk.

The clerk was looking down,he started chuckling, "wouldn't you like to know."

With that he threw off his clothes and revealed his red armor underneath. It was zero!

"you again? Why are you behind the desk?" espio asked.

"heh, waiting for the right moment to strike and grab the emerald. Pharoah Aikman ra doesn't let anyone near it."

"pharoah?" Cory asked.

"yeah, it's Egypt themed down to the nose. They even have slaves."

Cory glanced over and saw people in shackles carrying people's luggage.

"team up with us, zero." Cory said.

"sorry, I don't team up with maverick sympathizers."

"we are not working for Hitler!" espio said.

"can't ever be sure who someone really is, can you, shadow?"

Espio glared at him, "let's go grab the emerald."

"i wouldn't try that. He's got the power of the gods." zero stated.

Espio rolled his eyes and walked toward the temple area. Inside sat Aikman ra on his throne. Behind him sat the chaos emerald.

Espio snuck along the wall and went toward the emerald undetected. As he neared it, Cory shouted, "what do you want us to do?"

Espio rolled his eyes as the Pharoah turned around and forced him to the ground. He made the rest of them float in mid air.

"kekekekeke, what do we have here? Trying to 'nap my emer'ld eh? I should throw you in the scrarab pit." he said.

"nice going, Cory." espio said.

"give me one reason why you lot should get ma emer'ld."

"we need it to stop Hitler." Cory said.

"kekekekeke, stopping Hitler is a waste of time. He has infin'te strength."

"b-but."

"you shouldve thought of that before you tried to steal my emer'ld. Kekekekeke…" with that he jumped out of his chair and pulled out a sword. The gravity turned upside down, causing everyone to fall to the ceiling. The world around Cory faded as he hit his head on the hard cieling.

Espio threw his shurikens at the king, but they fell straight to the ground, effected by gravity. Projectiles would not work here.

Silver tried to fly off the ground, but the force of the gravity was too much, and he fell down. Michael jumped into action, hitting the king with his magic dance moves. The Pharoah grunted and forced Michael away, toward the lobby.

It was looking like an uphill battle, not even blazes fire could do anything. The Pharoah shouted in Egyptian and flew toward espio, sword out. Suddenly, he was slashed away by a green blur. Zero had hit him!

Zero dashed into the room, jumping off the wall and slashing the Pharoah. He grunted and turned to zero.

"puny human, you have no place in this world. Go back."

"i am not a human. Reeeeee!" zero screamed as he slashed the pharoah twenty six times, ending with a slash cutting him in half. The Pharoah exploded, leaving the emerald in its wake.

Espio grabbed the emerald quickly and used it to make zero float.

"ugh… why?"

"we need this stupid emerald to defeat Hitler, so stop." espio replied.

"fine, but remember, I'll be behind every corner. Regards." with that, he teleported away.

"how do you know him, espio?" Cory asked, regaining consciousness.

"shut up,"espio said as he walked away. They now had 5 emeralds. The last two would likely be the hardest to find of all. Or maybe a protagonist that rarely shows up holds it, who knows, but Hitler still has one of the emeralds, so that's going to be a challenge.


	20. Six Emeralds in Hand

They walked day and night, going toward the city. They needed to get to Vegas. The pyramid of Vegas held the key to the sixth chaos emerald. So far, they had 4 emeralds, one being taken by the bus driver.

The sixth emerald was fabled to have power over gravity.

"ah, Vegas. This is the where everything happens." silver said. Blaze rolled her eyes.

"I've been here before." Michael said timidly.

"shut up guys I'm trying to find the emerald." Cory shouted.

"we shouldve gotten transportation before going on this quest or whatever." espio complained.

"we do need transportation when we can teleport?" Cory asked.

"well, why arent we teleporting then?" espio said, crossing his arms.

"I love it when you get all angry," blaze said.

"shut up, cat."

Blaze shut up. Cory didn't have an answer to espio. He didn't want to use the emerald.

They walked toward the pyramid as they entered Vegas. The world around them shone with neon lights. Casinos appeared everywhere they walked. The walked right into the pyramid, Cory went to the desk.

"where is the chaos emerald?" Cory asked the clerk.

The clerk was looking down,he started chuckling, "wouldn't you like to know."

With that he threw off his clothes and revealed his red armor underneath. It was zero!

"you again? Why are you behind the desk?" espio asked.

"heh, waiting for the right moment to strike and grab the emerald. Pharoah Aikman ra doesn't let anyone near it."

"pharoah?" Cory asked.

"yeah, it's Egypt themed down to the nose. They even have slaves."

Cory glanced over and saw people in shackles carrying people's luggage.

"team up with us, zero." Cory said.

"sorry, I don't team up with maverick sympathizers."

"we are not working for Hitler!" espio said.

"can't ever be sure who someone really is, can you, shadow?"

Espio glared at him, "let's go grab the emerald."

"i wouldn't try that. He's got the power of the gods." zero stated.

Espio rolled his eyes and walked toward the temple area. Inside sat Aikman ra on his throne. Behind him sat the chaos emerald.

Espio snuck along the wall and went toward the emerald undetected. As he neared it, Cory shouted, "what do you want us to do?"

Espio rolled his eyes as the Pharoah turned around and forced him to the ground. He made the rest of them float in mid air.

"kekekekeke, what do we have here? Trying to 'nap my emer'ld eh? I should throw you in the scrarab pit." he said.

"nice going, Cory." espio said.

"give me one reason why you lot should get ma emer'ld."

"we need it to stop Hitler." Cory said.

"kekekekeke, stopping Hitler is a waste of time. He has infin'te strength."

"b-but."

"you shouldve thought of that before you tried to steal my emer'ld. Kekekekeke…" with that he jumped out of his chair and pulled out a sword. The gravity turned upside down, causing everyone to fall to the ceiling. The world around Cory faded as he hit his head on the hard cieling.

Espio threw his shurikens at the king, but they fell straight to the ground, effected by gravity. Projectiles would not work here.

Silver tried to fly off the ground, but the force of the gravity was too much, and he fell down. Michael jumped into action, hitting the king with his magic dance moves. The Pharoah grunted and forced Michael away, toward the lobby.

It was looking like an uphill battle, not even blazes fire could do anything. The Pharoah shouted in Egyptian and flew toward espio, sword out. Suddenly, he was slashed away by a green blur. Zero had hit him!

Zero dashed into the room, jumping off the wall and slashing the Pharoah. He grunted and turned to zero.

"puny human, you have no place in this world. Go back."

"i am not a human. Reeeeee!" zero screamed as he slashed the pharoah twenty six times, ending with a slash cutting him in half. The Pharoah exploded, leaving the emerald in its wake.

Espio grabbed the emerald quickly and used it to make zero float.

"ugh… why?"

"we need this stupid emerald to defeat Hitler, so stop." espio replied.

"fine, but remember, I'll be behind every corner. Regards." with that, he teleported away.

"how do you know him, espio?" Cory asked, regaining consciousness.

"shut up,"espio said as he walked away. They now had 5 emeralds. The last two would likely be the hardest to find of all. Or maybe a protagonist that rarely shows up holds it, who knows, but Hitler still has one of the emeralds, so that's going to be a challenge.


	21. Haunted

The gang walked out of Vegas, heading back to DC. The president had summoned them back in order to inform them of the latest news. Cory still didn't want to use the emerald to teleport.

"why the heck are you not using the teleport emerald. We are not walking all the way across the continent." espio said, angry.

"because I don't want to."

Espio groaned and began walking away.

"where are you going?" Cory asked.

"finding us transportation, fool."

Cory looked down, the only competent one was not leaving them.

Espio walked on and on until he found some warehouse in the middle of the desert. He shrugged, maybe there will be some sort of vehicle in there.

He entered the building, only seeing crates everywhere. He walked in between the crates, searching for something that could help him. He turned a corner, seeing someone dash past him. Espio pulled out his Shurikens, looking for the person. Staying alert, he continued on, not knowing exactly where he was going. A flash of red caught his eye. He continued toward the red object, only to find himself at a dead end, surrounded by crates.

As he turned around, a figure dashed from his view behind him. Espio chased after the figure around the corner, but didn't see anything. He decided climbing the crates would give him a better vantage point.

As he reached the top, he realized just how big this place was. It must have been at least the size of a football field, probably twice the size. It was filled to the brim with crates. Everywhere he looked he saw crates.

Not seeing any vehicle, he decided to leave. As he looked in the doorway, he saw him. Zero.

Words echoed in his head, "I'll be watching…" espio ran to the doorway, only to find him gone. Outside, he saw no trace of zero or anyone got that matter. He was alone. After a few hours, he found the gang in the middle of the Mohave.

"where'd you go, man?" silver asked.

"I didn't find anything."

"well, at least you're back." Cory said.

"shut it."

They camped in the Mojave for the night. Cory got bitten by a rattlesnake and stuff. Espio stayed awake all night, looking for zero. He knew he was out there, but where? He was always watching.

It was around 2 am when espio saw him again. He quickly woke up Cory and pointed at the desert. In the middle of two hills stood zero, his eyes glowed in the night. Cory looked close.

"I can't see anything, what are you pointing at?"

"it's zero you idiot, he's stalking us."

"i don't see anyone, maybe you need some sleep, Baka senpai."

"dont call me that. I see him. It's the real zero. I'll go over there and prove it." with that, espio got up and went toward the two hills, as he approached them, zero disappeared. Espio, for the first time in his life, was astonished.

He went back to camp. Maybe he was hallucinating. Maybe he had a problem. He was too fixed on that reploid that he couldn't even concentrate. Every moment felt like another tick toward his inevitable doom. Any moment he could strike, and any moment espio could die. He needed to stay alert.

3 days later, espio had not gotten any sleep and was still alert at all times. Cory became worried for him, he was the only competent one in the group.

"espio you need sleep," Cory said.

"no. I don't. I need to stay alert. Who knows when that red reploid will strike again?"

Cory walked away, giving up on espio. Espio continued to stay awake for almost a week. On day six, he couldnt focus on anything except being on lookout. It was then that it hit him. Zero could be disguised as any one of his "friends."

He couldn't trust anyone. Everyone could be zero. Every single person pm earth could be zero. Did zero even exist, or was he just an illusion? Espio abandoned the gang at that moment, walking away into the Mojave with nothing but his weapons. Cory and the gang didn't notice until days later.

He continued onward for miles into the desert, not seeing anything but rattlesnakes and cactuses. Eventually he ran into a lot my time abandoned house. Decay showed its face on the house. Every window was broken and the walls were covered in desert flora.

Espio walked through the house, looking everywhere for evidence of zero. He felt a sudden surge of heat, his entire body fell to the ground, he thought this was the end. Zero had found him. His vision went dark. Everything blured. He felt two figures approach.

"what should I do with him?" one said.

"you know exactly what to do. He's not one of them, you know."

"but that man… he said…"

"he was wrong."

"alright… I'll do it… x…. " everything went to black.

Espio woke up in the front seat of a bus. The bus was turned on and was I'm some sort of garage. He looked at his watch. 5 hours had passed. He groaned and looked down at the controls. He had found a vehicle.

He drove off toward the gang, parking next to them.

"I found a vehicle." he simply said.

"woah cool, a bus. I love bus."

"shut up Cory."

Everyone got on the bus and they headed for DC. Dark clouds loomed in the distance. The final battle was soon to come. Along the way they had made many Allies, lost many, and made many enemies. One emerald remains unfound. Soon it shall be unearthed.


	22. Where we are now

Cory began his journey in the humble town of Washington DC. He lived in the white house with his dad, the president, newt, some Italian dude, and random other people. He and newt lived in broom closets. After meeting a blue alien named xerath, cory learned of his full potential and how he must save the world.

Cory travels to an abandoned building and meets slender man, an antagonist and a general of the creepypasta gang. After escaping back to the white house, Cory is given the light katana, one of the few relics remaining from the lost civilization of Japan, but has a hard time controlling it.

Cory and newt go to the mall to try to get girls but quickly learn they're terrible at it and get bummed out. They meet Chris, a man with a medallion that lets him turn into a sonic character. Together they go outside and buy some pills from a guy in the storm drain that will make them taller and let them get girls. The gang goes on an acid trip and gets arrested.

Cory goes to the middle of a field with chris to begin his training. Something happens to a plane or something. Later, Cory enters a bus driven by a driver who almost ran him over earlier. He ends up staying on it too long and finds himself in Iowa. Eventually he escapes that hell. It is revealed that Hitler has been revived and the bus driver, Kanye east(Kanye west's brother) and a mysterious third figure are all part of Hitlers cult.

Kanye east and Cory go through the nine layers of hell after Cory thinks he's earned a spot there. Kanye east steals an artifact from Satan that allows him to bring Hitler back to full power. They all escape but Cory is separated from Kanye.

Cory is transported into the internet where he discovers many secrets that are pointless to anyone but him. He realizes he cannot escape from the virtual world and decides to end it all. He enters the deep web, finds the internet control panel, and watches the world wide web come to an end.

Cory travels to California for some reason and meets two minecraft youtubers. They need to find a way to Japan to find the mythical fedora that Cory saw in a dream. The gang breaks into Eggman's base and steaks one of his ships. They all fly to Japan and witness the destruction. USA blew up Japan or something I don't know. They travel through caves and find a secret monastery. Newt shows up and brings Cory his sword, oh yeah he forget his sword. A bunch of samurai warriors come out and kill the YouTubes but then they see Cory and bow down, leading him to the fedora. As Cory puts it on he realizes that the fedora protects the monastery and now the creepypasta gang broke into the garden.

Cory fights bravely and finds himself fighting slenderman inside his own mind. Cory wins, of course. Newt realizes he's actually silver the hedgehog trapped in a human body. They beat the creepypasta gang soldiers and return home.

Season 2 begins with Cory talking to the president. Many months had passed and Hitler had taken over all of Europe and most of the Middle East. Newt had left, trying to find himself. Cory learns about the seven chaos emeralds and what he must do to find them. He finds one inside his hat which allows him to teleport.

Cory seeks out the second emerald, finding espio the chameleon. He's an edgelord. Cory tries to get him to join the team but he won't unless Cory finds Michael Jackson. Cory travels to Detroit and almost becomes a skeleton but Michael saves him with the power of the second chaos emerald which can cloak and alter appearances. They return to espio who burned down the forest he lived in and his only friend died. Espio decides to go with them because he has nothing else to do.

They find newt who is now working as a cashier. He's super depressed and stuff and is a total loser living in a small apartment. They basically force him to join them. They travel back to Eggman's base to find the third emerald. They break in but are caught. Newt becomes silver for a moment. Cory discovers his seppuku form which can vastly enhance his power. They find the emerald which allows time travel.

The gang goes to Chris who is now Christine. She informs them that the next emerald is in area 51. They all travel there and meet up with Lara croft. Cory gets jealous of espio and Laras sweet moves and absolutely massacres a creature with his sword. This is the first instance of evil in Cory. Cory also discovers seppuku form has tiers that double his power each time. They find the emerald, which nullifies all other emeralds powers, and Hitler's minion the bus driver steals it.

Lara dies.

Newt enters an alternate dimension where Hitler and Eggman had fused. He meets up with Blaze who helps him turn back into silver permanently. They end up going back to the real world and now Blaze is there.

The gang travels to Chicago hoping to find the fifth emerald in the museum of science and industry. They discover Zero, a robot from the future in another dimension where a villain named sigma replaces Hitler. Zero thinks they're working for Hitler. Espio knows zero somehow. They find the emerald in the museum. Zero says he's going to stalk them. The fifth emerald can make objects float. Useless.

Espio, Newt and Cory go to the mall to get girls. Cory gets arrested for stalking a girl and breaks out of the cop car. They all teleport using the emerald and go straight to Vegas. They run into Zero again and it is revealed that Espio is actually named shadow. They learn that a mysterious Pharoah controls the sixth emerald. They get it or whatever. The emerald controls gravity.

Cory refuses to teleport back to DC so they walk. Espio goes out to find transportation. He is haunted by zero in the desert and nearly dies. He finds a bus and takes the gang in.

That's what happened so far. Who is shadow? Where are the Xerath race? Where is the last emerald? Will Cory ever become all powerful? Who is the real overlord of all these powers? Find out in the exciting 3 part finale to season 2: Xerath chronicles.


	23. Xerath Chronicles Part I

Darkness surrounded Cory as they rode through the desert toward Washington DC. The moon shone overhead, the only sound was the loud roar of the bus engine. The darkness seemed to swallow everything around him, the lone lights were the headlights of the bus and Vegas. But, for some reason, Cory wasn't afraid. The darkness seemed… comforting…

 _I'm the new kid, moving in, getting it done._

Words rang through Cory's head. He wasn't alone. Then he realised that he wasn't alone because other people were on the bus. Cory sat alone in the back of the bus, everyone else was in the front. He pulled out his light katana, the glow of the blade instantly penetrated the darkness.

 _And I'm officially the candidate for having some fun._

Suddenly the blade began to dim. Cory's eyes widened, what was happening. Was the voice doing this?

 _I'm talking about all out party._

The blade dimmed more, Cory put on his fedora, hoping to save the blade.

 _And we're getting it started._

The blade stopped glowing altogether. Darkness once again surrounded him.

 _Mr. president, you mind some electric guitar?_

Suddenly, the blade began to get darker and darker, as if a shadow possessed it.

 _WASHINGTON D.C. WILL NEVER BE THE SAME._

Cory was taken aback as the blade turned as dark as a black hole. It was as if all light bent to it's will. Cory felt something stir inside him, he took off his shirt to see what was happening. Within the pounds of solid fat, he saw his heart was as black as the blade. So black that it was visible through the piles of repulsive fat. Cory jumped up, but instantly passed out.

He awoke in a large room, technology seemed to cover the walls. A mechanical humming echoed through the room as Cory stood up. There were four doors on each of the sides of the circular room. Up ahead, a catwalk for observing could be seen. The walls glowed light blue. Where was he?

"So you're awake," a voice from behind him said.

Cory whipped around to see Xerath, the girl who Cory had met in D.C. Behind her stood many other blue colored people who looked similar to her.

"Cory, the darkness is penetrating you," Xerath said, pointing to Cory's visible heart.

This angered Cory, for whatever reason, and he drew his katana. The blade rippled spacetime, distorting the environment around it. Cory's eyes turned as dark as his blade as he charged at Xerath, blade above shoulder. Xerath dodged at the last minute, drawing twin daggers. Cory slid to a halt, turning his head to look at Xerath once again.

"Cory, this isn't you. You have to fight it!"

Cory roared a magnificent roar as he charged once again, bringing his blade above his head and jumping. He swiped at Xerath, but it was blocked by her daggers. Cory stumbled back, quickly recovering to slash at her from the right. Xerath backflipped over the blade, countering it with her own blade. Cory flew back from her blow, falling to the ground. As his vision returned, he felt something wet on his face. Cory reached up, only to discover blood. A cut ran down the side of his face, dripping red sticky blood. Cory immediately began to vomit from the sight of it.

Xerath walked over, sensing the danger had begun to subside. As Cory recovered from vomiting, he began to come to his senses.

"Xerath, what happened to me?" Cory asked, astonished.

"The darkness happened. Four million years ago, the god Kek formed the seven emeralds, but the power contained in them was too much for him to handle. Kek retreated into the primordial realm, but his power was still reserved. For many years, the ancient Egyptians held the emeralds as relics, worshiping Kek for the god he was. As time went by, the darkness began to leave Kek, and he was once again pure, but the darkness existed as an entity separate from Kek. They fought a tremendous battle, and the darkness retreated to the edge of space, existing within a black hole. For many years, the darkness was thought to have been vanquished, until now. We sensed it first when you were in area 51. A large spike in dark activity was detected on you, Cory. After tonight, we are convinced you are hosting the darkness."

"But, how do you know?" Cory asked.

Xerath closed her eyes, "We are the ancient Egyptians, the cult of Kek. The god Osiris made us immortal, turning our skin blue in the process. The Xerath have been living on the dark side of the moon for over 5000 years, fighting the darkness in any way we can. That brings us… to the prophecy."

Cory looked at her curiously as she looked over at a male Xerath wearing fancy clothing. He nodded at her, telling her to go ahead without words.

Xerath nodded and turned back to Cory, "I was supposed to tell you this on the first day, but I was unable to. Cory, you know you are destined to defeat Hitler and in the process defeat the darkness, but I did not tell you what you must do. Cory, you must sacrifice yourself," Xerath looked away as she said it.

"Y-you mean…. Commit seppuku?"

Xerath nodded sadly, "You must do it after you defeat Hitler, it's the only way to defeat the darkness."

A sudden anger came over Cory. His heart turned even darker as he got up, katana in hand. Xerath began to stand ready, but was halted as an arm went in front of her. Xerath, the king of the Xerath's, stood at the ready. He pulled out a Khopesh, a long, curved sword used by the Egyptians. It lite up with the power of the great god Kek. Cory stared at Xerath, his sword seemed to distort time and space more as his hatred grew.

"This battle ended long ago, darkness! Give up the boy!"

A deep, raspy voice came out of Cory, "Foolish human, the great god Kek cannot protect you from me. You forget, this boy has 5 chaos emeralds, plus the primal fedora. I am invincible!" The darkness put on the fedora, instantly, 5 emeralds floated around him, stopping and flying straight into his soul. Distorted smoke, darker than a black hole, began to resonate around him.

Xerath laughed and pulled out a single chaos emerald, "with this emerald, I call upon you, Kek. Give me the power of chaos and the primordial prologue of Ra!"

A silhouette of a frog headed man came over Xerath, his blade grew as it began to glow, much like how Cory's did. The world around the two seemed to distort, completely stopping time itself. The only two beings to exist were the darkness and Xerath.

Cory charged at Xerath, katana raised. He seemed to fly over the ground, not even touching it with a single molecule. Xerath disappeared and reappeared moments later, as if Cory had run right through him. He swung his Khopesh, light hitting darkness, further distorting time itself. The two separated, which seemed to bring time back to normal. Cory brought upon him the power of seppuku. But instead of his eyes glowing, darkness fell upon him. His power level raised and his blade distorted reality as it moved. Xerath ran toward Cory, but he saw the man coming and dodged his attack. Xerath quickly turned and swung his sword in a circle. As he swung again and again, a light as bright as the sun came upon him. He ran toward Cory, and the two clashed swords, moving faster than the speed of sound as they tried to get a hit in.

The two flew back, crashing through the ceiling into the cold dark reaches of space. They were inside a base on the moon. Instantly the broken walls fixed themselves. Below them sat a magnificent city on the surface of the moon. Technology flourished as far as the eye could see, surrounding a giant statue of Kek, a man with the head of a frog.

Cory turned back to Xerath, bringing his katana up. The two floated above the colony in space, apparently unaffected by the little gravity on the moon. Looking up from the colony, one could see the battle play out. One glowing figure and another figure who looked like a black hole clashed, flying at one another at incredible speeds. They seemed evenly matched, none could best the other. They flew at each other for what seemed like a millenia, clashing swords. With each slash, distortion surrounded them.

Each one charged at the other, a blinding flash was seen. They stopped. Xerath on one side and Cory on the other. Cory smirked, his eyes closed. Xerath looked down wide eyed, his arm fell down to the surface along with his sword.

He turned to Cory, "please, have mercy!"

Cory turned and smirked. He changed to seppuku due, the distortion around him began to grow. Seppuku tre, screaming as a black hole formed around his sword. Seppuku quattro. He swung his sword straight at Xerath, screaming as loud as possible. Xerath looked in horror as his body was ripped apart, molecule by molecule in a black hole. It didn't stop there though, time began to distort around him, making him relive the agony exponentially for infinity. Cory reached in and pulled the chaos emerald out of him, inserting it into himself.

The power seemed to overload him, though, and he fell back down into the space station. Cory awoke much later, staring up at Xerath. She looked at him sadly.

"You killed our leader," She said simply, "leave."

Cory got up, looking down at his hands. Who was he? He began walking away, toward a door with a portal back to Earth in it.

"Wait," Xerath said, walking up to him, "There may be one way to destroy the darkness. None of us thought he would take over the chosen one, but now that he has there may be a way to destroy him. Get the chaos emerald that was in area 51, its power to deactivate the emeralds may make the entity come out of you, or it may end up killing you. The only problem is that the emerald is with Hitler in Berlin. Sneak in, take the emerald, repel the darkness, and kill Hitler. This may be your final mission."

She opened the door without a word, the portal to Earth glowed. She set the coordinates to the bus and pulled the lever, igniting the portal. Cory had brought nothing but chaos to the moon base, but as Cory left he had hope. Hope that he could save the world. He touched the scar that now decorated his face and walked through the portal.


	24. Xerath Chronicles Part II

Cory awoke in the bus, had it all been a dream? He got up and looked into a mirror, seeing the scar on his face. It hadn't.

"Where have you been?" Newt came in and asked, "we have news…"

Cory walked outside, seeing the remains of a battle.

"Hitler sent troops here to kill us," Newt said sadly, "They managed to completely remove silver from me and… and… murdered Blaze…"

Cory looked in horror at the freshly dug grave. They were in the middle of a wooded area, dead soldiers littered the ground. Cory looked up, the sun shone down upon them brightly. How could this happen on such a nice day?

Espio stared at them, no emotion on his face, "We need to go, D.C. isn't that far away."

As he said that, a black figure fell from the sky, landing on Blaze's grave. It was none other than Shadow the Hedgehog.

"Where's that damn fourth chaos emerald?" he asked, grabbing Cory by the throat.

"H-hitler h-has i-i-i-i-i-i-it!"

He released Cory and turned to the group, "The president needs that emerald in order to destroy Hitler, if you're not with me, then you're my enemy," he pulled out a gun.

"We're going to Berlin to defeat Hitler anyway, come with us!" Michael said innocently.

Shadow grunted and moved straight to Jackson, "and you are?"

"I'm the completely out of character Michael Jackson, or Micheal as I'm sometimes called. I'm quiet but I help as much as I can."

Shadow grunted and walked toward the bus, "get in, idiots."

"You have no authority over us, you're just some loser who works for the president." Espio said, crossing his arms.

"Shut up, you're just a robot disguised as a chameleon!"

Everyone turned to Espio, he looked down.

"I must confess now and give to you my backstory. I was created by a robot named X in the future in another dimension, the same dimension that Zero comes from. My name was Shadow, I was a ninja robot meant to serve X to protect the humans. All went well until master X was infected by a virus which turned him evil. Bound to protect X, we were forced to lash out against the humans according to his will. There was a rebellion, led by Zero, to take back the world from X. In the midst of a battle with Zero, I faked my own death and disappeared into your dimension. Upon arrival, I realised how wrong I was and took on a new identity, Espio the chameleon," Espio closed his eyes, turning back to his original form, a black humanoid robot with a red scarf.

Everyone just accepted that and they went on their way to Washington D.C. The words "washington D.C. will never be the same" haunted Cory as they entered the city, pulling up in front of the white house. As Cory got out of the bus, he realised that this was the same bus that had been used by the bus driver, the same one which he had been kidnapped in and taken to Iowa. Since the bus driver now rode in an airship, he must have abandoned his old bus. Ironic that it was now their method of transportation.

Cory walked toward the president's office, signalling that everyone should stop following. He entered the oval office, the president sat in his chair looking out the window.

"The balance of power has shifted." He simply said as he turned toward Cory.

"I have 6 of the emeralds. The last one is in Berlin with Hitler."

"Shadow commed me, I know. We must get that emerald, my master plan to defeat Hitler requires all of the chaos emeralds."

"What is your plan, sensei?"

"I cannot speak of it yet, but I can tell you something else. Our scientists have refurbished your bus to fly, now you can fly straight to Hitler from across the Atlantic ocean. You'll need to be stealthy though, one wrong move and you'll be prisoners of war. Do it in the name of America, in the name of Japan, and in my name, John Henry Eden."

Cory nodded, walking out of the room. The gang was waiting outside, Cory walked right past them and continued toward the white house entrance. He stopped and turned toward a door. Xerath's words echoed through Cory's head, he may never see any of this again. He entered his old room, or closet and sat down on the bed. He picked up his old sonic comic, recalling his time in the abandoned building fighting slenderman. He looked at the other items, seeing the amulet Chris had given him. It was his transformation amulet, carved in the face of a character named Sonichu, Chris's OC. Cory now knew that the amulet actually ran on the power of the second chaos emerald, and Chris had given it to Michael Jackson because he was a pop star and stuff. Chris gave the useless amulet to Cory. Cory wept.

He got up with confidence. He was now ready to die for his country. He walked out of the room and straight to the bus. Cory was a changed man. As he entered the bus, he wasn't that sad little boy anymore, he was a true man and nobody could tell him what to do because he was strong and independent. The bus flew off toward Berlin, Cory stood in front of his comrades.

"When we get to Berlin, there will be soldiers everywhere. Danger will be everywhere. I want you to know that I appreciate you all and admire your service to this nation. This isn't for me, this isn't for the Xerath, this is for America, and by extension the entire Earth. Death will not welcome us because we will not let it, now who's with me?" Cory yelled.

"What is a Xerath?" Newt asked innocently.

Micheal began to hum to himself. This had been a long journey, he had learned more here than his entire music career. He looked out his window at the Atlantic ocean below them. Ever since he faked his own death to escape the paparazzi, he had been lonely. Skeletons had chased him, he still couldn't explain them though. But when he met these people, he knew he could rely on them. Sure, some were edgy and some were depressing, but together they formed an unstoppable team.

Newt looked at the waves below them, thinking to himself over the past few months. So much had changed, yet he still felt exactly the same as when he was working at the grocery store. He had learned of his past, fought his demons, and met the love of his life once more, only to have all that progress ripped away from him in mere seconds. Hitler would pay for this.

In the distance, they began to see the destruction. They flew over France, one of the biggest war zones. United States troops and Nazi troops battled each other to the death, betraying each other's rights to live. This wasn't real life anymore, this was war.

The bus entered German territory. This was it. The final battle had begun.


	25. Xerath Chronicles Part III

Chills went down Cory's spine as he entered Berlin. The city was massive, it was a magnificent paradise. He stared upward in awe at the tall buildings. The streets were clean and filled with vegetation. Berlin was perfect.

Following Cory was Shadow, Shadow, Newt, and Michael Jackson. The dream team had united. Cory led the gang as they walked down the street toward the capitol building.

"The capitol is at the center of the city, to reach it we'll need to find it first, we need to get to a taller building," Newt said. Everyone agreed except for shadow and shadow, who scoffed. They entered the nearest building and went straight to the roof. From this height, they got a better view at the city. It was beautiful. The center of the city seemed to be the older part, which had an old timey feel to it. How could something so amazing be so evil?

Newt looked through his hands, you probably forgot that he got magnifying lenses surgically inserted into holes in his hands, and looked toward the building, "It's swarming with creepypasta gang members, we'll never get past them."

Cory looked out at the city, "we'll need to. We need to get-"

"-That damn fourth chaos emerald," Shadow the hedgehog finished.

"Maybe I can be of assistance." Zero dropped down from a taller building, landing near them, "I now know you are hell bent on taking down Hitler."

"Yes we are, I would know, I've been to hell," Cory replied.

Zero grabbed his Z-saber and drew a map on the rooftop, "We are able to get to the capitol, but unfortunately there is the airship nearby with it's shield generators. We split up, Shadow, Shadow, and I go to turn off the shields and the rest of you go to the capitol and take out the creepypasta gang members, questions?"

"Will I still get the emerald when we are finished?" Shadow asked aggressively.

"Yes."

"OK."

The gang began running across the rooftops, arms behind their back as they approached the capitol area. Cory nodded at Shadow and they split off into two groups. Michael, Cory, and Newt ran straight for the capitol as Shadow, Shadow, and Zero headed for the bus driver's airship.

Cory and the gang jumped from the rooftops, landing in front of a group of gang members. Newt shouted, "hello there!"

The gang turned around toward them, each one seemed to be a terrible OC of some sort. They all held knives or bats or some sort of melee weapon. Guns weren't edgy enough for them. Cory grabbed his katana out, Micheal readied his magical dust- spewing sleeves, and Newt pulled out his fists I guess. The gang ran up to them, ready to kill. Cory dodged their attacks and stabbed at them, out poured hyper-realistic blood. Today was the day of all the blood. Newt cowered in fear as one came toward him. He punched at the creepypasta and it exploded into blood, covering Newt with it.

"These guys are weak, Cory!" Newt yelled.

Cory began slashing them down like mad, each one exploded, covering the ground in a thick coating of blood. Michael released boatloads of his magic powder at a group of them, completely destroying each and every one of them. As the dust cleared, Cory stared in horror at the streets covered in all of the blood. Hyper-realistic blood was everywhere and covered everything. IT WAS LIKE A MURDER HAD HAPPENED!

Cory began walking toward the capitol, but stopped as he saw that a shield covered it. Hitler had holographic shielding powers. A shadow fell from the sky, and it wasn't one of the protagonist shadows. Ugh that's getting confusing just bear with it.

"Itsa me, remember me?" Luigi, the Italian chef said as he removed his chef hat.

"LUIGI? I thought you worked for the president!" Cory shouted.

"Iya do but asa time went on Iya saw that Iya could starta mafia based on creepypasta-as!"

"How does that make sense?"

"Thata man- slenderman- I tamed him and heya had friends!"

"You became the leader of all of the creepypastas?!"

"Si, and now youa gunna paya!"

Meanwhile, team 2 had reached the airship and were currently making their way into the actual ship. At the top of the ladder, they were greeted with SS troopers, who shot at them, all three of them dodged the bullets, but were ultimately overpowered by the mere size of the troop squad. A man was heard laughing as they fell down.

"Hello, friends!" the bus driver said as he entered the room, "I don't remember any of you, but I'm sure you're working against us!" He pointed to his armband with a swastika, "you'll never reach Hitler, Cory can't stop us!"

"Let us go! We need that damn fourth chaos emerald," Shadow the hedgehog said.

"No, we will be testing my new technology on you, it's a new gun that combines things, we will be using it on living beings for the first time!" He pointed the gun at the three of them and zapped them. A bright light shone, and out came a humanoid robot that was red and black, he had a certain edge to him and held a katana and a gun.

"Wait, you weren't supposed to survive that, it should have melted your conflicting parts null and deleted you from existence!"

"Jokes on you," he said, "We were basically the same person before, now were are one. Null. That sounds edgy enough. I'm null now, loser!" He shot the bus driver many times before open firing on all of the SS troopers, occasionally slashing them with his katana. After dealing with all of them, he moved on toward the next room and destroyed the shield generator, jumping out of the airship before the entire thing exploded, silhouetting him over the fiery explosion.

Meanwhile, Cory and the gang stared in horror as Luigi pulled out his spatula, turning it into a bladed weapon. Cory drew his own weapon, it still glowed black as night and distorted the air around it. Luigi wiped his brow and ran at Cory with all his might. Both of them were fat and ugly, both of them were good with blades. They caught each other in a duel, both clashed their blades together, focussing on each other.

"Cory! I needa to tella you about your father!"

Cory stared in horror as he saw that Luigi might be his father.

"I KILLDA YOUR FATHER!" Cory's heart began to break as he pushed Luigi away. He pulled out his fedora, a single tear fell from his eye. He put on the fedora and stared at Luigi with hate. The tear fell slowly to the ground, it slowly turned to the darkest black and began distorting the air around it. As it landed, the ground warped around it, breaking reality.

Luigi laughed insanely, enjoying the darkness take over Cory. He turned to Newt and threw his weapon at him, but Michael jumped in front of him. Cory raised his katana and began slicing Luigi into a million pieces. His hatred completely engulfed him. All that was left of Luigi after was his chef hat, which he had taken off before. Newt cried out to cory as he went over to Michael, that had the power to dissipate the darkness for now.

Cory ran over to Michael, who was on the ground suffering.

"C-cory…" he said weakly, "leave me, you… you must take back what's yours… hatred… don't let it… take… over… remember my songs…."

Michael/Micheal stopped moving. Michael Jackson had died.

 _*Smooth criminal intro begins to play*_

Cory got up from his spot beside the dead man, and drew his katana. The shield had gone away as he killed Luigi. He walked onward, Newt looking at him with pride, "go get him."

 _As he came into the window_

 _Was a sound of a crescendo_

Cory walked through the capitol gardens, surrounded by flowers of all kinds. SS guards swarmed him, but he slashed them down effortlessly. He began to glow as he entered seppuku form.

 _He came into her apartment_

 _He left bloodstains on the carpet_

He continued onward, walking into the building and into the lobby, everyone turned in fear as he began to glow blue with seppuku due. The words of Xerath echoed in his head. He was prepared to die.

 _She was sitting at the table_

 _He could see she was unable_

Wordlessly, he passed the lobby and went to the second floor, which was covered with guards. Cory raised his hand, sending them all flying into rooms on the side of the long hallway.

 _So she ran into the bedroom_

 _She was struck down_

 _It was her doom_

Cory burst through the door as Michael's ghostly voice sang "Annie, are you OK." Hitler turned in his chair, it was the meeting of two legends. This may be the greatest moment in human history. This was it, the battle that would decide the fate of the universe.

"Cory 'in the house,' I see you were welcomed well." Hitler said.

"Don't lecture me, Hitler. This is my destiny. Now give. Me. The. Chaos. Emerald!"

Hitler chuckled and got up from his desk, walking around to face Cory, "you're on the wrong side, Cory. The darkness has overtaken you and clouded your judgement. The president is planning to destroy the moon and thus destroy the great god kek."

"YOU'RE LYING!" Cory shouted as he moved his katana into a ready position.

"Young, ignorant Cory. You have been tricked!" Hitler pulled out a recording and pressed play on it, Cory recalled it as the same one the president had played when he first was given the katana.

"The world is different now. Japan has fallen, and the United States has taken over for them in terms of culture. Through the power of the internet, we make people learn Japanese through rosetta stone and celebrate Japanese culture, effectively making Japan live on after death. In an expedition to the abandoned country of Japan, we discovered a large room housing a katana of pure light and murals depicting a hero defeating waves of monsters. One of the murals seems to depict the Xerath race. Another mural has needed revision because it contained me leading the demons. I know now what I must do. I must trick the hero to believe another is the enemy. As soon as I find the hero, I must take him and teach him to fight with that light katana. I believe I know who he is, though, so I have given his father a job at my house, even if he's a bad chef. Soon I will replace him with a better one, though his son must stay. His son is the hero."

"YOU FAKED THAT!" Cory yelled as he ran at Hitler with his katana. Hitler jumped out of the way, jumping toward a closet. He grabbed the fourth emerald out and threw it on the ground.

"You'll have to beat the darkness, Cory. It does not only control you." He then jumped out the window and flew away with a jetpack.

Cory grabbed the emerald and held it up to the light. It began to glow and the other emeralds fell to the ground, now rendered useless. Cory then felt the darkness leave him, his blade began to shine once again. He sighed in relief. He didn't have to kill himself.

Suddenly, Cory felt a dark presence behind him. He turned to see a dark copy of himself, every detail the same. He held a katana and had a fedora on his head. It was the darkness.

"Thank you Cory, you have released me to be independent in this world! Unfortunately, you are too powerful to be left alive. Say goodbye," the darkness said.

"Cory, you must sacrifice yourself," Xerath's voice echoed to Cory. He now knew what he must do.

Cory readied his katana and ran at darkness, his slash was met with the blade of darkness. It was light on darkness. Cory slid back and slashed once again. Each slash was blocked by the darkness blade.

"You cannot defeat me, I AM YOU!"

"NO!" Cory yelled as he threw himself at darkness, slashing at him with precision blows, each one was met with a block. Cory was knocked back, straight into the emeralds. Cory looked down at the deactivated emeralds and noticed the one Xerath had used to summon kek upon him. Cory grabbed it and held it up.

"KEK! I SUMMON THEE UPON MYSELF!" Cory yelled, but nothing happened.

Darkness chuckled at Cory, "Your emeralds are useless as you have used the power of the fourth emerald!"

Cory grunted and screamed as he enter seppuku tre. He grew into a new form, the form of Cory with a purple hue around him. His long, auburn hair flowed behind him with the wind of the power.

"Foolish child, you can never overpower me," He teleported them to the black hole near the moon, "I created an infinite black hole that loops exponentially! I cannot be defeated! I AM A GOD!"

Cory closed his eyes and realised seppuku form didn't have tiers. It was only his power level. He screamed and enter seppuku infinite form!

"SO AM I." The god kek showed up faintly over Cory, the emerald powered up and began to glow brightly.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Cory shouted as they clashed swords once again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Darkness shouted back.

"I AM MORE THAN A GOD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Cory slashed at him, breaking the darkness katana in half and opening another black hole, sucking them both in. They struggled as they flew through the black hole, slowly being ripped apart molecule by molecule. Suddenly, a bright light fell over Cory, and he was lifted up out of the black hole.

"This isn't the last you'll see of me, I am everywhere and in everything. Expect me!" Darkness said as he disappeared from view. Cory looked up to see what the light was, it was the great god kek.

"Good job, child. You have conquered the darkness and have become a hero among the nations. What do you wish to do now?" Kek stated, staring at him with his frog eyes.

"I want to go back to my normal life, back to the white house, back to the good old days."

Kek closed his eyes, and smiled at Cory, "remember, the darkness is still out there, and only time will tell who your friends and enemies are. Goodbye!" Kek faded and Cory closed his eyes to the blinding light.

He awoke in the garden of the white house, back where it had all begun. Cory brushed his long auburn hair out of his face and looked around. Newt got up nearby, as well as Null. On the other side of the garden sat the body of Michael Jackson, one of the many heroes who gave their lives in the battle of Berlin.

"Cory, we did it! We beat Hitler and saved the world, man!" Newt said, getting back his shtick.

Cory nodded, but knew that Hitler was still out there. Today, though, they would celebrate, Hitler was defeated and at the lowest power he had ever been at, besides dead.

"W-what happened to you, shadow?" Cory asked, feeling much like his old self again.

"I have become the embodiment of an experiment, I am now Null."

"O-oh, that makes sense."

Cory got up and walked over to Michael.

"He's gone, man. We need to bring his legacy with us, man!" Newt exclaimed.

"What if he's just sleeping. Maybe he's in a coma! Sonic would know what to do!" Cory shouted, in denial. Newt merely shook his head, they all went back into the white house, leaving a dead body in the white house garden in plain view.

Null slipped away from the group and walked up to the president's office. He dropped the seven chaos emeralds on his desk silently.

"Good job Shadow, you've done good for your country."

"It's null now." Null said, crossing his arms.

"Of course it is. Now we can activate phase two of our plan."

"Whatever," Null said, uninterested. He had no interest in this plan. He was part of a plan he wasn't interested in.

The president turned in his chair, looking at a map on the wall, "I have another assignment for you. There is a floating island somewhere on this earth with a deity known as 'knuckles the echidna.' He is the guardian of the chaos emeralds and knows how to combine them into the master emerald. Find him, but don't tell Cory or the others about it. They will be sent on different missions."

Null was torn, though they were essentially the same people, shadow, zero, and espio all had different loyalties. What would Null end up choosing? The reploids Zero was a part of from the future in another dimension, the president who had given shadow the right to kill, or the earth that espio vowed to protect from evil? Only time would tell.

Meanwhile, Cory suddenly realised his fedora was gone, replaced with a bandana around his head, a symbol of power. He was disappointed a little, but he knew that Kek had transformed it so he could fulfill the prophecy. The darkness was still out there, possessing Hitler, probably. He would need the help of his trusted friends to do it, nothing was going to stop them now.

/

Well, that's season II. What a ride. I kind of forgot this was a Cory in the house fanfiction halfway through Xerath Chronicles Part III, so it might sound a bit dramatic. Of course, season III will be coming soon, I just need to figure out more plot points that I should add to it. Feel free to PM me ideas and stuff. Thank you for continued support!


	26. Back to Normal

Hello, Jay here once again. Season 3 is finally here. So far, I've done a lot of world building as I wrote the first few chapters. This one should be a lot more like how the first few chapters were written way back in season 1. A return to classics, if you will. Themes of psychology, conflicting personalities, and finding your true self will be demonstrated with the lovable characters as they each overcome their own problems. Welcome to season 3.

/

Cory awoke once again in his humble abode. Sunlight streaked through the cracks in his wall as he opened his drowsy eyes. Cory blew his hair out of his face and adjusted his bandana of power. What would Cory do today? Only time would tell.

He grabbed his katana of light, once again restored to purity, and began walking down the halls of the white house. Ever since the battle of Berlin, everything had been quiet. The United States had expanded its land and taken over Canada. Newt now had new hope for his future, though now that he no longer had power as silver, he had to compensate with technology. The lab below the white house became his favorite spot to hang out. He also stole tech from them so it wasn't all innocent.

Cory went to the president's office, as he was to receive a new assignment today. What would it be though? Only time would tell. On his way to the office, he had a sudden realization. The president's daughter, Sophie, had been absent from the white house ever since Cory met Xerath.

Cory entered the presidents oval office and went straight to his desk.

"uh president uh what do you want m-me to do now?"

The president turned around in his chair and handed Cory a ransom note. Unfortunately Cory could no longer read.

"It states that the Neo Aztec empire has kidnapped my daughter and will only accept texas as payment for her back."

"no! Not Texas!" Cory shouted in fear.

The neo Aztec empire had arisen a few months ago under the mysterious emperor Caesar. They didn't seem to understand that Rome and the Aztecs were different things. They camped up in Mexico and now controlled most of Central America from their capital, Tenochtitlan.

Cory saw that he might have to leave the house. This would be a catastrophic event, as Cory no longer had the power of the seven chaos emeralds.

"they have camped up in the Alamo, but do not plan to attack for another 7 days. We have technicians working on the bus and you'll be able to leave within the next 6 days. Now, get out of my office," the president ordered.

Cory obeyed and walked out, thinking of how his life would once again be flipped upside down. Cory walked out to the dining area and grabbed his daily ration of bread. Since they had gotten back, DC had gotten better. It now housed a communist dictatorship and starving people appeared on every street. These people, of course, were arrested and taken to the gulag.

A new chef was in charge at the white house after Luigi's passing. His name was Giuseppe. He didn't talk much and couldn't cook. Cory had been searching extensively for his father's body, but was unable to locate where the creepypasta gang had buried him, which saddened Cory on a deep psychological level unknown to any of you normies reading this. Cory knew that as long as Hitler was still out there, the world was still in danger.

Saving the Alamo would be Cory's greatest challenge yet. Cory firmly believed that Texas should be nuked, and saving Texas from the Neo- Aztecs might lead to a dilemma between his beliefs and his country. Bringing together a team to fight the Aztecs might also prove a challenge. Newt, of course, would come along, but now that he no longer had the powers of Silver, he was pretty useless. Null had disappeared since the president gave him the order to find Knuckles, so he would not be coming.

Cory was lost, he couldn't do it all by himself. Suddenly, an apparition appeared before him. The ghost of Michael Jackson drifted out of the floor in front of him and tipped his fedora. Cory felt no fear, Michael appeared to him many times since his passing, he gave Cory advice on a regular basis.

"Cory, I know this mission may seem impossible, but you've always found backup before and you will today as well. Don't worry about who they are or what they do, worry about what skills they have," he said, glowing brightly in the dark corridor.

"But I need a team to destroy the AzTEcs at the AlaMo!" Cory shouted, desperately searching for an answer.

Michael smiled at the fat boy, "The south has many people in it…"

With that, Michael faded away. He had not mastered the force during his years on Earth, so conjuring a force ghost was difficult to him. The speech gave Cory the idea of a road trip through the south to get to the Alamo. They would start by going to Florida, then make their way across until they reached Texas. Along the way, Chris would train Newt in the arts of the samurai and Cory would recruit people to join him in his upcoming battle.

Meanwhile, Null made his way to the Boston harbor, looking for the boat he had rented. A man stopped him and turned him around, speaking with a heavy boston accent that Null could not understand.

"Shut up, degenerate. Where is the ship I rented?" Null said, grabbing the man from his collar and holding him up. A look of fear passed over the man's face, he began shouting in Boston, Null still not understanding him, "Worthless excuse for a human." With that, Null threw the man off the pier and into the salty ocean. Since the great salt epidemic of 2034, the oceans salt content increased so much that any human to come in contact with the water would instantly be covered in salt crystals. The man emerged from the water, suffocating from the salt crystals growing up his back. He instantly died as he inhaled, filling his lungs with the poisonous water.

Null walked off and found his boat, jumping onto it. He would now have to scour the Earth, searching for the mythical island that housed Knuckles the Echidna. Null had already absorbed the seven emeralds, becoming a literal god in the process, but his emotions began to conflict with his identity. Splitting apart into three minds would overload his brain, killing him instantly. Minor conflicts could not cause this, but each of the three minds loyalty and motivation could cause issues for them in the end. Only time would tell.


	27. Japanese Vault

"What do you mean you won't come with us?" Cory shouted.

They were at Chris's apartment, attempting to convince him to come on their southern adventure. The place smelled repulsive, the walls were covered in mysterious liquids, and the floor was damp. Roaches crawled around, infesting every corner. Cory didn't seem to mind.

"I can't come I need to finish my new sonichu comic!" Chris shouted back, not angry but as if he couldn't control the volume in his voice.

"That can wait, we need you to train Newt in the arts of the samurai!"

Chris scratched his neckbeard, "What skills does he have?"

"Pretty much any skill imaginable, I haven't seen him not be able to do anything."

This caught Chris's attention. Newt seemed to be some sort of demigod. Could the collective conscience of Silver and Newt have formed a new entity, as if it was a mind birthed from two minds. If Newt's mind was also Silver's mind, who was Newt now? Newt knew everything about his life as Silver, but also knew everything about his life as Newt. Newt was a loser who lived in the White House, Silver was a hedgehog who fought for his friends. It appeared as if the separation from his past memory had turned him into a hybrid of the two consciences.

Of course, these aren't Chris's thoughts because Chris is a worthless idiot.

"I'll do it for Japan!" Chris shouted, people on the street turned to him and glared. Cory decided not to tell him that Japan had been nonexistent since the 80s. They walked to the bus ship and got onto it.

From the outside it still looked like a piece of junk. The paint was peeling and rust covered large sections of it, but the inside looked entirely different now that the president had ordered a full remodel of it. The front was run by a computer who Cory named "Espio" after their long lost friend Espio. The computer navigated and gave answers to complex problems, he also had a British accent. A driver could take over via a manual overdrive function implemented into the control panel. One side of the bus was filled with seats and beds made with only the finest materials. On the other side there were fridges and other necessary appliances for cooking and any other activity that you do while travelling. The president had also installed a bathroom into the back of the bus, but it was just a hole in the floor that emptied into the outside.

"Hello, master Cory, how are you doing?" Espio said as they walked in.

"I'm doing fine I just got Chris and we're ready to go back to DC."

"Very well, setting course for Washington DC, tracking optimal flight path, redirecting other aircrafts to avoid our own flight path, engaging stealth mode, ready to take off."

"G-go ahead Espio," Cory said, getting nervous for no reason.

Thrusters extended from the bottom and shot the bus upwards. When they reached a good altitude, the bus turned and aimed straight toward DC. Another thruster extended out of the back of the bus, it's chrome finish shining in the sun, even though it was invisible to the common man. It suddenly bolted forward at an incredible speed, heading for DC.

Newt emerged from the bathroom and looked curiously at Chris. The last time they had met the gang was tracking down a chaos emerald that was in area 51. Before that, Chris has coached them in the art of finding boyfriend free girls, only to go on a drug trip soon after meeting. Since then, Chris had put on over 200 pounds in weight and now had a full grown beard on his neck. Grease covered every inch of his pasty skin. He was the epitome of American beauty.

"So, when will my samurai training begin, man?" Newt asked.

"Soon, you will need long hair first, though."

Newt looked in the mirror. His hair was currently shoulder length, looking at Cory he realised he had the shortest out of all of them. Cory had long, back length auburn locks and even Chris had knee length hair. Newt had been outclassed and was now worthless in most ways.

"I must first track down a Japanese katana from within the white house, man, senpai." Newt said, using the japanese term for master to appropriately label Chris. Newt was well versed in Japanese.

Luckily, the bus ship landed in the white house lawn just as he said that. Many Japanese relics were held within the confines of the white house. Now is a good time to thoroughly explain the Japanese- American war. Japanese culture had grown exponentially in power since the mid 60s. By the 80s it had grown into a force that could crack the moon in half if it was left uncontained. If this power fell into the wrong hands, according the the US government, it could be the end of the world. Seven bombers were sent over to Japan who made a deal with the Japanese government to save the world. Key elements of Japanese culture were preserved and taken back to the US, including the body of the final president of Japan, which is said to lay in a tomb in Idaho. After this, the bombers let loose all of hell as they nuked the entirety of Japan. Though the fedora of myths was able to protect one monastery. This was the cause of the total annihilation of Japan. Of course, this was all covered up in order to preserve Japanese culture in the United States so some of its power could be retained.

Many of the artifacts recovered from Japan were still located in the White House, or so the rumor went. Somewhere within the corridors and secret passages sat an armory of swords that were recovered from Japan. It is said that out of all of these there is one that is the blade of the true samurai. This blade has powers over fire, but only can be wielded by one with a fiery spirit.

As the bus landed, Newt jumped out and ran toward the White House door with his arms behind him, eager to find the Japanese vault and recover the sword of the true samurai. He began by looking in the basement. This is where the technology labs were held where top secret projects were worked on, but these projects were high level top secret projects. Lower level projects with even darker undertones were apparently underneath the basement. John, a scientist who Newt thought was his friend, was working today.

"Hey John, how's it going, man?"

"Shut up and leave me to my work."

"What are you working on, man?"

John sighed, "If you must know, I'm currently working on a way to bring back the internet after Cory Baxter destroyed it. Ever since your special force of Japanese loving losers showed up, the president has had us fixing all your mistakes. We have grown to greatly despise you. No offense."

"N-none taken," Newt said, holding back his tears, "u-um how do I get to the Japanese vault, man?"

"If I show you will you stop bothering me?"

"Yes, man."

"You didn't hear anything from me." He walked over to a wall with a few computers on it. On one was complicated equations for fusion reactions. After typing in around 20 passcodes, a clearance window popped up and John typed in 'newt.' Suddenly, Newt was teleported a million miles below the surface into a darker lab. He appeared to be alone within this area, it was Sunday and most scientists were at home or whatever.

Many projects lined the walls, each seemed to be related to testing humans. One listed out a substance that could greatly increase plant growth within an underground facility, though it infected humans and turned them into plant like creatures. Another seemed to be a psychological test where subliminal messages were sent through wavelengths over an intercom. They all appeared to be related to underground facilities, but what where were they? Next to these were plans to move people to some sort of oil rig base off the coast of San Francisco.

Newt, being more competent as a protagonist than Cory, was intrigued by these discoveries. There were hundreds of these experiment plans all displayed as advertisements. Looking out into the darkness of the underground warehouse, Newt could make out what appeared to be thousands of them. Why was the government planning human experiments in underground facilities?

Newt continued onwards past the displays and found himself at a large, cog-shaped door. Nearby was a lever, which Newt pulled in order to open the door. He poked his head inside the chamber and looked around. It was incredibly dark inside the room. The floor was made entirely of metal, controls for the door and other computers sat idly along the sides of the wall. Everything had a new metallic shine to it.

As Newt entered, he went over to the computers on the wall. The program that ran on them appeared to be written by a company named 'VT.' This was some sort of vault for containing humans. After reading the description of the project, Newt backed away slowly. How would the government send people to these vaults? He knew nothing good would come out of searching through this, so he ran out, arms behind his back, and tried to locate the Japanese vault. He ran past many prototype vaults, but none appeared to hold anything.

After running for what felt like hours, Newt found the end of the warehouse. He ran straight into the wall and fell over, dizzy. As he came to, he realised that what he ran into was not only a wall, but a wall decorated with Japanese characters. Newt sat awestruck as he walked along the wall, reading the tales of the ancient Japanese and their fall in the 1980s. In order to protect the world from the power of Japanese culture, this vault was to be sealed indefinitely. Newt turned and found himself facing a large vault door, similar to the others in this secret lab, but this one had the number 3333 on it. There wasn't anything nearby to open it, but Newt already knew how to open it.

He opened his mouth, and shouted the ten commandments in perfect Japanese. The words flowed past his tongue with the power of Japanese pride, each one growing in decibels. The symbols on the wall began to shine around the door, glowing a bright blue that lit up the vault door. The echos became one as Newt's voice traveled around the warehouse, the unintended melody of the words flowing as if they were a divine river. A glowing blue crane swooped down with such precise movement that it appeared to be heavenly. It cawed as it flew right toward the vault door, merging with it as the door glowed the brightest blue imaginable. The door dissolved into dust and blew around Newt as the nearly hundred year air from the vault joined with modern air, as if a long lost couple was reunited.

Newt walked through the door, being startled as the lights turned on in the vault. A static sound played over the intercom as he began walking toward the control console he spotted nearby. As he walked toward the console, a voice began to speak over the intercom.

"Welcome, young one. You have discovered the vault of the Japanese. We, as a people, live here in spirit, thriving on the pride the people in America have toward Japanese culture. You must prove yourself worthy, though, in order to get to this untapped power. Step through the next door, if you wish to face your fears and prove yourself worthy."

Newt was taken aback by the voice, but quickly recovered and put on a brave face. He would have to have courage in order to face these trials. He walked through the door, holding his head up high. The first room was very bright, along the edges sat pictures of Blaze, Newt's long lost love. A door opened along the side of the wall, Newt held his fists out at the ready.

Out of the door stepped Blaze, living and breathing. It was a miracle of nature and science. It looked as if she had never been hurt at all.

"Silver, I've been looking for you forever! Before I died, I transfered my soul back to my original dimension and became alive again."

Newt was ecstatic, maybe he could reawaken his Silver form if blaze was able to regenerate. Hope began to fill Newt as he gazed upon Blaze, but then his heart fell. What if this was a test? How could he ever know? Ever since her death, Newt had longed to see her face again, but now that she stood before him, he knew that he needed to give up on his impossible dreams.

"No, man, you aren't real."

Blaze held out her hand, "Yes I am, come with me and we can make you Silver again."

"No. I will not go with you, man."

Heartbroken, Newt walked onward past her, walking through the next door into the next trial. This room was also brightly lit. Along the walls were pictures of Silver. Voices whispered as if they were inside Newt's head. The message was simple, but used against Newt it rendered the boy powerless. "You are Silver."

Newt was reminded of his past life, who he was and who he was supposed to be. Newt was a failure. Forced into exile, he left behind his memories of his old life to live in happiness, but as he began to remember the life he once lived, the monsters of a life greater than his own became true. He couldn't even live up to his past accomplishments. Newt fell to the ground as the voices became louder, reminding him of his failures and his life of greatness in the other dimension. Then it fell upon Newt.

"I am not Silver." Newt shouted. Instantly the demon voices went away. It dawned upon Newt that he was no longer Silver. He was Newt now and forever. Nothing could possibly change that now. He looked down upon his hands, looking through the lenses that now engulfed his palms. He used to be Silver, he used to be a Hedgehog, and at one time he was both human and hedgehog, but now he was just Newt. He let go of his past, looking toward the future with courage. His hand began to glow, and as he turned it he saw the triforce of courage over his hand.

All of the images instantly cracked, and a door appeared at the end of the room. He walked through the door with pride, finding himself in a large underground warehouse filled with Japanese buildings. Flags flew over the streets of the empty village, each house contained thousands of Japanese relics. The Japanese vault.

Newt walked straight to the temple on the hill, knowing from his knowledge of Japanese culture that the armory was inside. He walked through the doors and saw millions of swords littering the walls. At the end of the hall sat a pedestal with a sword in it. The sword was a strong metallic color. The hilt was a dark blue, curving upwards in a jagged shape. Newt knew the sword well. It was the master sword. Japanese culture was contained within the triforce, the master sword was the sword of the true samurai. Subliminal messages in video games had been empowering the youth of America with the power of Japanese culture, though only a little.

Newt grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled, but nothing happened. He needed this blade, it was his only hope in becoming a samurai. A single phrase went through his head many times. Use your hands. Newt looked down on his hands and closed his eyes with courage. The triforce on his hand glowed as he put them on top of each other, lining up the holes in his hands. He put them down upon the handle of the sword, breaking the lenses within his hands as they passed through the handle. Time seemed to stop as Newt pulled out the blade, holding it up high above his head.

"Well done, child. I will now tell you who I am. I am the last president of Japan. I worked with the president to preserve the culture of Japan while also limiting its power. Today, I am long dead, buried within the confines of Iowa. Find my tomb and bring this sword to it, and I shall grant you the power you seek and the wisdom you already know."

Newt looked down on his sword, he needed to get to Iowa, not Idaho. Looking into the blade, Newt saw his hair grow to the middle of his back. He was becoming a samurai. A light engulfed Newt as he was teleported back into the bus ship, right next to Cory and Chris.

"Welcome back." Chris shouted.

"Thanks, man. I found the true samurai sword," Newt said, holding his newly acquired sword up, "I have also been given a mission that I must take alone."

Cory turned to Chris, "Well, now that Newt is fully trained as a samurai, we won't need you so you can go back."

Chris walked away sadly, regretfully going back to his sonichu comic book.

"Cory, you are my best friend, man. You'll find allies in the south, I know it. Hopefully I'll get to the Alamo before the battle, goodbye, man."

This was the hardest part of Cory's life. Newt had always been with Cory as long as their journey had gone. Nothing could separate the duo as they battled the darkness. But now, as the sun set and as the sky turned a bright orange. Within the shadow the the white house, two friends parted ways. With a hope to one day fight together again, they turn their backs on each other, but inside they are just as much friends as they always were before.

"We'll meet again, man. I know it." Newt whispered to himself. The screen freezes as Cory is walking into his bus, the bright orange sky appearing behind him as he turned and looked at Newt's departing figure, a transparent image of his face appearing over the image.

As our three heroes, Null, Cory, and Newt, go their separate ways, each facing their own demons, a darkness grows around the world. Because war, war never changes.


	28. Florida

Cory's journey had begun. He waved goodbye to the president from the window of his bus ship, even though he knew the president wasn't watching. Cory didn't blame him, with great power comes commitment or something profound such as that. The sun was nearly down as the bus took off, flying in the direction of the south toward Florida.

"Master Cory, why not just go straight to the Alamo, that is your destination, correct?" Espio asked.

"Yes, but I need allies in order to defeat the Aztecs, we will need to travel from Florida to Texas along the coastline in order to meet the many people who wish to help me!"

Cory starred out the window as the landscape below him zipped by. He knew the south was populated with many people who wanted to help him. Those many people could help him in his quest. Many people from the south were fans of him, most likely. Cory knew if he looked hard enough, he would find those many people. Actually, he hoped they would find him.

Florida was their first stop. The warm air would rejuvenate Cory's power level and possibly bring him back to full power. Cory had changed back to normal since his encounter with the darkness. Though he still carried the scar he had gotten from his encounter on the moon base, it was less intense. His hair was still long, as stated before, but now it was brought together with the bandana of power he wore now. The prophecy, it seemed, was coming true.

The fedora he once wore is actually an astral artifact forged by Kek himself. He gifted it to the Japanese, but at that time it was a samurai helmet. The fedora, it seems, does not have an original form. It is made from the same power of the chaos emeralds, and seeing the power of those, it is no surprise that the fedora has infinite forms. It has changed many times throughout history in order to compensate to its owner. As stated previously, it was first discovered in the form of a samurai helmet. Later, it was fashioned again into a World War II era hat and was worn by the Hideki Tojo, the leader of the Japanese. After it was locked away within the confines of the monastery, it slowly morphed into the fedora, as many followers of Japan wore them. Now it sits upon Cory's head as a bandana, a universal symbol of power.

"Would you like to hear some tunes, master Cory?"

"Yes, put on Jpop."

Japanese flooded the bus as the music of a lost people played over the radio. Jpop was, of course, produced within the United States by the government. Cory sang along in Japanese, though he barely knew the words so he basically just mumbled along with the music.

As the bus neared Florida, Cory remembered why no one lived in Florida: the vampire clan. Though they weren't actual vampires, they labeled themselves after that since they drank blood. Florida had been abandoned when the vampire clan began stealing cattle and killing them for their blood. Many of the vampire clan members had aids, but that's besides the point. The entire state had been covered by a force field that prevented anyone from entering or exiting, essentially cutting off communication with the clan.

Espio landed the bus just outside the barrier. No one was around. They were all alone in the middle of abandoned homes. Since the clan was nearby, no one wanted to live in these homes, thus they were now vacant. Cory got out and looked toward the top of the force field, the sun reflecting off of the blue glow it emitted. There was no way around it, and no way to get inside.

Suddenly, a figure wearing a robe walked up behind Cory. Cory fell over and drew his katana, ready for a battle with the disguised stranger. He raised his large arms, moving them slowly toward his hood. The man seemed to be overweight, and breathing heavily. Or maybe it was muscle? He pulled down his hood, revealing his true identity: Alex Jones.

The TV star spoke with a deep, raspy voice, "Hey kid, you're the one who killed the internet, right?"

Cory nodded, calming down as he was in the presence of a superhero.

Alex nodded and walked closer, "Good job, the elites were using it to mind control the civilians to pay more taxes," he looked up at the force field, "I've been out here ever since, killing vampires and fighting the good fight."

Cory gasped, "You know how to get in?"

"Yes, of course, kid. Want to help me liberate Florida?"

Cory didn't need to answer. Alex bolted off, walking at an incredible speed for someone his size. Cory ran behind him with his hands behind his back, using the aerodynamic form to project himself forward at a similar speed to Alex himself.

They approached a bunker door, it appeared to be made out of metal of some sort.

"The elite overlords use this tunnel to bring vampires they find outside into Florida. Their reptilian skin protects them from the AIDs all vampires have."

Cory nodded as he helped Alex open the door to the bunker. Alex jumped straight down into the hole, falling was looked to be 20 feet, and landing unharmed at the bottom of it. Cory slowly climbed down the ladder, carefully putting his hands onto the rusty metal bars. Each one creaked, threatening to break under the immense weight Cory held. Cory got to the bottom safely, breathing loudly as his feet touched the ground. The only light within the room came from the hatch they had just come through, darkness swallowed the rest of the room. A hallway could be made out, but other than that nothing could be seen.

Alex began walking forward into the darkness, Cory followed into the unknown.

"The fourth dimensional phantoms that did not make the journey with the reptilian elites used to inhabit these tunnels within their dimension. We can't comprehend the fourth dimension, but it contains our world in it, like how our world contains the second dimension within it."

All these words flowed over Cory's head. These concepts were too complex for young Cory's brain to withhold. He nodded, even though Mr. Jones couldn't see him. Cory thought hard, and realised something fascinating.

"Are you related to Indiana Jones!?" Cory shouted.

Before Alex could answer, a screech could be heard echoing through the tunnels. The vampires knew of their presence. Cory unsheathed his katana, lighting up the entire tunnel with its glowing aura. Blood stained the walls and floor of the metallic tunnel. It seemed as if the clan had been waiting for someone to finally open the door so they could be let out into the outside world.

"Though most of them are vampires, any ones let in after are cold hard criminals because the reptilian elitists got sick of sending them to prisons. Lucky for us, these vampires only drink animal blood so we are safe," Alex said in his rough voice.

Cory looked in horror as a pale man stumbled toward them. His clothes were in rags and his hair appeared to have been forcefully pulled out. His mouth was covered in blood stains and he had a horrible odor to him. He held up a hand toward the duo, showing his unnaturally long nails.

"The vampires are protected by demonic energy that can only be combated by other demonic energy from a separate demonic faction. Your sword will be no use against them, don't even try to use it. I have an ultraflux blu faction nitroscope that will be able to take these guys out if they're protected by the succubus rosso clan!" Alex held up a complex looking device and pointed it at the man, who starred upward as a bolt of plasma ignited from the end of the nitroscope. Demonic voices could be heard all around as the man was pulled downward into the ground by a ghostly force.

"Demons are actually from the fourth dimension and the elitist are part of them. Each demon has a code word that will cause them to reveal their true form for mating purposes," Alex whispered the word to Cory, who gasped.

"That's why they outlawed that word in the United States back in 2054!"

Alex nodded, "But be warned, if you speak the word to a demon, it may attempt to mate with you. Do not allow the demon to insert its eggs into you!"

Cory didn't know what mating meant, so they continued onward in silence. The boy kept his katana out to help guide him through the tunnels, and it became apparent quickly that the bloody mess on the walls and floor was getting worse as they went on. Soon, the blood seemed to still be wet and fresh footprints could be made out in the red liquid on the floor. The smell of iron became so strong that Cory got a headache as bad as the one slenderman gave him.

A light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and Cory sprinted toward it, Alex following closely behind. They emerged in the city of Tampa bay, Alex was right about the tunnel being fourth dimensional because there was no way they could have covered that much land in that little time. Vampires swooped down and subdued them just as they got out.

"W- where are you taking u-us..!?" Cory mumbled. The vampires merely hissed at them as they dragged them in bloody chains across the landscape. It was soon apparent that the city was in ruins and covered in blood stains. This put the blood display put on in Berlin to shame. Grass seemed to die from all of the blood found on top of it, the entire landscape seemed to be decimated. Eyes watched from the windows of buildings as our heroes were taken as prisoners to the leaders hut: a large skyscraper that was once the tallest in tampa, but now stood half its height as the top was demolished. At the entrance, they were greeted by two more vampire guards who took them inside.

The floor of the lobby was decorated with a star shaped symbol which had blood staining it. At the end was a throne of sorts with a man sitting on it. The man wore a dark robe, stained with blood. On his head was a crown with a human skull on it.

"Welcome, tresspassers, to Tampa, Florida. The bloodiest place on Earth!" He held his arms out to the side, blood dripping from the goblet he held.

"What do you want with us, vampyric overlord?" Alex asked.

"Every month, the reptilian overlords give us prisoners. Do you know what we do with the prisoners?"

"You brainwash them into joining your ranks and becoming blood drinkers."

"Not quite…" He moved over to a curtain and pulled out a human head, it looked fresh, killed within the last few days, "they are sacrificed to the great succubus who watches over us all from the underworld!"

Cory was taken aback. The severed head was disturbingly realistic. Cory had never seen a prop quite lifelike. Then it dawned on him. This wasn't a movie. This wasn't an anime. This was real life.

"Every month the reptilians give us several hundred prisoners. After we ran out of cattle to dine upon, we turned to humans. Since we are so isolated, and the blood kills all plant life, we have dined on criminals and drank their blood for the past 11 years. What is weird, though, is the fact that there are only two of you here, and that you are 2 weeks early."

"We aren't prisoners," Cory said.

The vampyric overlord raised an eyebrow, "No? So you are regular citizens? Excellent. You see, prisoners contain souls of darkness which, in turn, yield less pleasure to the great succubus. You would be the equivalent of over 2000 criminal prisoners." He smirked evilly as he said this.

"Where do you come from? How did your clan form? Don't you owe us information before you kill us?" Alex asked, reaching into his pocket slowly.

"Ah, I am so glad you asked. Our origins are with the KKK, though as time went on we learned that Christianity was what was holding us back. After converting to an occult agenda and killing anyone who opposed our change, we began craving blood. Our demonic brothers in the underworld lusted after the red life-giving liquid."

The guards walked up to Cory and Alex and laid them out onto the pentagram. The vampyric overlord grabbed a pike from the wall and walked toward them, wobbling just like the man in the tunnels had. Cory started freaking out, thinking he was about to die. He went through all of the possibilities of how he could escape. Then it dawned upon him. The word.

Alex smirked as Cory shouted the demonic mating word at the top of his lungs. The vampyric overlord dropped his weapon and instantly changed into a reptilian, his true form. The elites controlled everything, even their enemies. The rest of the guards began acting strangely, almost as if they were in a trance. Many ran up to Cory and pulled out long fleshy cords from their stomachs, trying to attack the end of it to Cory's mouth. Cory pushed them aside and ran out of the building with Alex, looking for a way to escape.

"What are you doing? Stop them!" the vampyric overlord shouted at the guards. None responded.

"We're going to blow this place, kid." Alex said in his rough voice, dropping devices to the ground as he went, "we gotta fight the good fight!"

They dove into the metal tunnel, sprinting toward the other end as the electrolyte blu pulse bombs went off one by one, decimating all vampires within the range of Tampa. The tunnels shook as they ran through them, a blue energy field appearing behind them. Alex jones let out a scream as he went super, grabbing Cory and flying to the end of the tunnel before the dangerous blu contamination reached them.

When they landed, Cory looked back into Florida territory, the entire area was engulfed in a blue plasma. Soon, smoke appeared and filled the entirety of the bubble, blocking out any view anyone may have had. As the smoke began to clear, Cory was treated to a familiar sight: it looked exactly like Japan looks. A flat, empty area, only filled with dust.

"We just killed a reptilian elitist, kid. This is your greatest accomplishment. Soon the tectonic plate troopers will be here to kill me, so we'd better go!"

"Can you join my super fighting team in order to fight the Neo Aztecs in Texas?" Cory pleaded.

"Of course, the Aztecs worship the reptilians of the fourth dimension, so we should put a stop to them as soon as possible. I also think that skeletal horse aliens live near there so we should see them too."

Cory was ecstatic as Alex entered the ship. Alex put on his tinfoil hat as they took off, afraid the high altitude could result in alien brainwashing. The team had begun. With the expertise of Alex Jones, Cory would be able to defeat any supernatural threat, but he would still need more troops in order to defeat the entire Aztec army.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Aztecs sat on his pyramid, devastated by the news of a reptilian death.

"Stuff like this doesn't just happen. Nobody normal can kill a reptilian as easy as that. Find as much information on this Cory kid as you can. I want him brought here and sacrificed to the reptilian lords in order to right this wrong upon the Earth." He turned to his guard, sending him away. The man sat upon the largest pyramid ever created, which sat within the capital Tenochtitlan. An army surrounded it. Millions of troops were under this mans command. Soon, the war would escalate.


	29. The Iowa Quest

Newt ran through the fields of the northern United states, never ceasing. His newfound sword gave him the ability to never get tired. This was due to a chemical compound produced by the sword that overclocked the production of adrenaline within the human body. This, in turn, brought Newt in an elevated state of consciousness similar to how he felt as Silver, but simultaneously entirely different.

His destination: Iowa. In case you have forgotten, the last emperor of Japan was laid to rest in a locked tomb untouched within the state of Iowa. High level officials were told he was buried in Idaho, but this was only a distraction so no one would find his tomb. After meeting with the spirit of the final emperor, Newt was informed that the leader was, in fact, buried in Iowa, and would grant him the two other virtues he needs to possess to become the master of his sword, and thus the master of Japan.

His journey had brought him through West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Soon, he would reach the final destination: Iowa. Cory had told Newt stories of Iowa, most of them haunted his dreams. Stories of endless fields, deranged country folk, and emotional drainage stuck with him.

Newt approached a town, not just any town though, the same town Cory had been to. Newt knew it was no coincidence that Cory had travelled here before, something must have drawn him to Iowa other than him being kidnapped. If you have forgotten, Cory stayed with three people in Iowa: Tim, his grandmother, and his uncle Mack. Tim and the grandmother were taken away to maximum security prison, as they were thought to be the kidnappers of Cory.

Newt walked through the small country town, noticing that no one was on the streets. He had no idea where to go and how to find the tomb. He wandered around for hours, searching for some clue, or something related to the Japanese, but found nothing. Newt then decided he would ask a local. He walked up to a door and knocked.

An obese man answered, "who are ya?"

"U-um I'm Newt, I'm here to find the Japanese e-e-emperor, man," Newt stuttered, intimidated.

"Why is yous talking about does Japanese fols'?"

"I-I need to find their leaders tomb, man."

"Why do y'need tuh find dat tomb?"

"Um because I need to power my s-sword, man."

"Well does fols down at duh house at duh end of duh road prolly knuh about dat," he pointed to a house down the street, "now git!"

Newt rushed off toward the house at the end of the road, noticing the yard was overgrown with weeds. He walked across the cracked and deteriorating concrete path to the door and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Again, no answer. If he continued on this path, the probability of someone answering the door diminishing with each knock he made. The concept of him knocking is an interesting thing, you see. If he continues to knock forever, infinite outcomes are possible. The door may fall, for instance, he might fall. Although, theoretically if infinite outcomes are possible, this scene could and would go on for infinity. Newt would be knocking, never ceasing. Things could stop him, though. The door will eventually deteriorate, ending this loop. Newt could die. An outside entity could stop Newt. None of these happened, Newt simply cut down the door with his sword and entered after the tenth knock.

Inside, the house was dimly lit and smelled awful. Chris's house smelled worse, but this was still an absolutely disgusting smell. There seemed to be some sort of compound in the air, almost steamy. Newt walked through the house, past a couch, and toward the kitchen area. A light from the refrigerator gave light to the kitchen as he walked in, illuminating the darkness.

Newt looked into the fridge, but found nothing. It was then that he realised that there were plants around the kitchen. They had green leaves and smelled funky. Newt grabbed one, it seemed to be some sort of plant.

Newt exited the kitchen and walked past the couch again, but was tripped by some unknown source. Newt quickly turned over on the ground and watched a silhouette rise from the couch and approach him. Smoke came from his mouth as he walked toward the boy.

"What in sams hell are you doing in my weed den?" the man asked.

"W-what is weed, man?"

"The gift of life, duuude. It shows me stuff I would have never seen in my life, bro. Try some, man, it'll show you the way to your dreeeeams."

Newt grabbed one of the rods that the man was using and put it into his mouth, inhaling the smoke and filling his lungs with a burning sensation. He began to feel like he was flying, as if everything was below him and nothing really mattered.

"Whoa, maaaaan," Newt sighed, "what's your name?"

"I'm mack, dude. My family was taken by the feds and now I live here alone and grow weed, I make fat stacks of cash, man."

"I have fat friends too, man."

"Where are you from, my dude?"

"The white house, man. But I'm actually a hedgehog from another dimension originally."

"I hear you, man. Everyone tells me not to be who I really am but I'm like no I'm a turkey and you can't stop me, man."

Newt fell to the floor, sighing and moving around awkwardly. He took another whiff of the stuff and sighed in relief.

"Dude, I'm looking for some Japanese tomb, man."

"Maaaaaaaaan, we have one of those under our house, man. My mom and her grandson are the only ones who know, know the way there though."

"I need to get in there, man."

"I could use the space to grow more weed, man, but they're in prison in Puerto Rico, man. Good luck, man, getting there, man."

Newt sighed again, feeling himself melt into the floor. Then he realised that the weed was enhancing his mind too much. He felt himself learn all of the secrets of humanity as he looked upon Mack. He saw black holes, which are invisible, visible, and saw light bend to the will of an all powerful creator, Kek. He knew too much. He had to go back. He had to escape.

"Dude, stop struggling, maaan."

"I need to escape, man."

"You need the knowledge, man."

"NO, man."

Suddenly, Mack began to change. Cory originally though Mack was a demon in disguise, but it appeared as if the man was actually a god. The man's head transformed into that of an ibis, a crane like bird. His garments changed to gold white and blue cloth, leaving most of his skin exposed. Upon his head sat a crown. He held an emerald tablet. Spacetime began to distort around him, his eyes became true darkness. He was corrupted by the darkness.

"Foolish human. I gave you a choice, you could walk away and never have to worry again. But it seems your thirst for knowledge is little, and you wish to only get your way," he pulled out twin khopeshes, "I am the great god Thoth, the bringer of knowledge."

But Newt saw through this, he was not talking to Thoth, he was talking to the darkness. He pulled out his sword, "I see through your ruse, man, you're infected by the darkness, which I know about because Cory told me about it."

"Keen observation, young Newt, but when I possess someone, I gain all of their attributes. Thoth's knowledge and skills all belong to me. Both mentally and physically I am Thoth, with the added power of true darkness!"

Epic chanting music begins to play as Newt runs up to the darkness and slashes at him with the master sword. The light of the sword seemed to bend around him with the power of infinite density. He swung his khopesh in an arc, sweeping at Newt's feet. Newt saw this, and jumped over the blade, narrowly avoiding the attack. The god jumped back and pulled out his emerald tablet, summoning spirits to fight alongside him. Newt slashed at them, but didn't seem to be able to hurt them.

"Foolish child, you underestimate the power of maat. Balance is everything, you must learn that, even in darkness everything is in balance."

Newt closed his eyes, trying to achieve balance. The enemies slashed his arms with their claws, drawing blood out in red drops. Newt cringed, but continued to meditate. His arms began to glow, and a light engulfed him.

2000 miles away, Null felt a disturbance as one of the chaos emeralds popped out of his chest and began to glow. He watched in amazement as the emerald became engulfed in light.

Newt felt a breakthrough and felt cognitive dissonance as his body warped away. He woke up in a cornfield nearby. He had achieved remote chaos control. Now he had his priorities clear. He needed to travel to Puerto Rico and find Tim and the grandmother in order to unlock the tomb, then he would need to defeat the darkness within Thoth and unlock the powers of both power and wisdom from the emperor of Japan. It would be a tough journey, and he would have to deal with Iowans, but he knew that Thoth was a big part of winning this war. Plus he wanted to summon spirits with that emerald tablet.


	30. Balance

Null looked toward the horizon as his boat sped across the sea, the salty air stinging his lungs. He was headed into the unknown for an island that has not been charted and was largely uninhabited. Some may say this mission was impossible, that no man could ever track down an island the size of a small town that has no known coordinates, in a world mostly covered in water. Null was not some people.

For people who had forgotten, Null was not born in this world. In fact, Null was not born at all. Within their experiments, the Nazi's researched fusing two entities into one entity, calling it Versch, short for Verschmelzung which is fusion in German. Though much research went into this program, one problem arose: fusing the minds. Though the people appeared to be one, their minds were separate due to anything that differed between them. If one of them liked red and the other hated it, it caused a tear in the mind. Cognitive dissonance, but amplified a thousand fold. Soon after, this advanced technology was put into use by the military. Its use here was incredible as it could eliminate multiple targets into a single one and instantly drive them insane, though it was incredibly expensive and the technology was large and heavy.

Null was created when three people were combined: Shadow, a robot from the future in another timeline who called himself espio, Zero, a robot from the same future as shadow, but was shadow's rival, and shadow, a hedgehog with a gun and a motorcycle. When they were fused into one, something that had not been examined before was realised: if the people who were fused had little to no cognitive dissonance, they may be able to stay sane. The three people combined were all ruthless edgelords who shared ideals. This led to them becoming an entity that not only had all of their skills combined, but also their power amplified.

Null had the artillery and speed of shadow the hedgehog, the knowledge and sword that Zero possessed, and the ninja skills and concealed weaponry that came from Shadow (Espio). He also possessed the metal frame from zero and shadow who were robots, protecting him from virtually all harm. Added to this was his possession of all seven chaos emeralds. His powers were beyond the comprehension of the human mind.

Despite all of this, he had one issue: the three minds. Though they were all similar, each one had its own ideals and loyalties. While Zero may be loyal to the resistance movement of his time, shadow was opposed to it and loyal to his master, X, who was Zero's enemy. Shadow the hedgehog was loyal to himself, but followed orders from the president, who was not trusted by either zero or shadow. This could lead to problems as they continue as one, because if they begin to stray from their union, they will go insane and everything will be lost.

Null had been searching the pacific ocean for days, and had found nothing. He looked out at the ocean, feeling hopeless, but not showing it. Land could not be seen anywhere and he couldn't trace where he was in the ocean. He grunted and sat back. Suddenly he felt a force pulling away from him, as if someone was reaching inside of him and pulling something out. One of his chaos emeralds floated out of him and into the air in front of him, glowing. As soon as it started, it stopped and fell to the ground on the boat.

Null began to feel angry, and picked up the emerald, squeezing it as tight as he could. The emeralds were not breakable as they were made by a god, so don't worry about him cracking it. Null stared down and noticed something interesting. As he squeezed the emerald, the air around his hand began to distort. Null stopped squeezing and it instantly went away. He grabbed the emerald with both hands and squeezed as hard as he could.

The boat began to shake as Null started to lift off the ground. The air around him began to distort with a yellow glow. He could feel the power of chaos control in its purest form begin to rise inside of him. His hair floated behind him, seemingly defying the laws of gravity. He seemed to exist within another plane of existence, allowing him to ignore the laws of the universe.

Speaking of planes, guess who ran into Null at this time. Tails was flying along in his plane across the ocean, not paying any attention to anything around him. His plane rammed straight into Null at full speed, causing the edgelord to drop his emerald into the ocean. Tails landed his plane nearby and flew over to Null, who was still in shock.

"Sorry mister, I didn't see you there!"

Null shook his head, putting on the face of a furious man, "You IDIOT, do you know what your worthless life has burdened me now? The ocean here is 12,000 feet deep and now my emerald is floating down to the bottom of it."

"I'm sorry, I'll find you another one!"

"Shut up, degenerate. That was a chaos emerald, a damn chaos emerald. There isn't another one like it!"

"Oh, I've seen sonic use those before, he can get super powerful!"

"Shut the hell up you twat! I need that emerald to find the master emerald and it's protector! Now I'll have to face the fury of the president!"

"Wait! I know how you can get it back! The emeralds give you protection from most situations, so if you use another one to protect yourself from the ocean pressure, you can retrieve your other emerald!"

Null was dumbfounded, he perceived tails as an idiot but I guess he was kind of wrong. He pulled out another emerald, grunting from the pain it caused him. He held it to his head and began to feel more powerful. Looking down into the ocean, he realised that he would also need protection from the salt crystals that instantly grew onto anything within the ocean. He took out another emerald and spawned a forcefield around him. He then dove at an incredible speed down into the depths.

The water around him began getting darker and darker as the light was filtered out by the water. Using the chaos emeralds, Null was able to light up an area ahead of him, but he was only able to see a few feet ahead. He could feel the pressure of the ocean increase within his brain as he came closer and closer toward the center of the earth. Farther and farther he went down, still not seeing the emerald. It may be possible that the emeralds themselves ignore the laws of gravity, as in they fall down through water just as they fall through air, ignoring the higher density of atoms in liquids. That would explain how it was able to fall down so quickly.

Null felt himself nearing the bottom of the ocean when he saw it. The entire bottom of the ocean was covered in an extremely thick layer of salt. Within the salt he saw there were the crystalized remains of the fish in the ocean. Everything from whales to giant squids were preserved by the salt at the bottom of the ocean.

Suddenly, Null had a flashback. He was within what appeared to be an oil rig in the middle of the ocean. Looking down, he noticed he was Shadow the Hedgehog. He remembered now, he was on a mission for robotnik's uncle and Maria. They were both living within a space station, so Shadow was sent out for the missions they needed.

Today, they would need a special modifier circuit that could only be found in US oil rigs. Robotnik needed this for his space station in order to modify the oil used to fuel it and make it more fuel efficient. Shadow stealthily ran through the facility and grabbed the circuit. His mission was complete, but he sensed danger. There was screaming outside the oil rig. At this time, Shadow wasn't the edgelord he was now. In fact, he was actually sort of a nice guy. Feeling concerned, Shadow ran outside onto the oil rig platform and looked around for the source. It looked as if a man had fallen into the ocean. Shadow readied himself to jump in to save him, but he was abruptly stopped by a guard.

"What are you? Crazy? Don't jump into that water!"

"What? Why not?"

The guard pointed to the man who was now covered in salt crystals. The man let out one more blood curdling scream as his lungs were crystallized. Defeated, the man began to sink into the waters, never to be seen again.

"W-what happened?" Shadow asked.

"You haven't heard? North Korea used quantumly condensed salt and dropped it into the ocean. Since the salt was so dense, it caused the entire water body on earth to turn into toxic, crystallizing fluid. As punishment, the US government made all of the citizens from North Korea jump into the water their government had made. It seems like it only crystallizes on carbon though, so you're safe on boats and stuff."

The guard looked at Shadow, and the image began to fade away. Null reawoke, floating lifeless at the bottom of the ocean. He regained control and looked around. He needed to find that emerald. It was then that he saw the emerald, perched on top of a sunken ship. As he approached, a dark entity appeared before him. It was HIM.

"Buffoon hello you there!" Kim Jong Un, incarnated as a monster made entirely of salt, said, "die you ready?"

"Can it, fatty."

Kim began to cry, "Why insult me you, I kill you!" With that, he began to scream, the various salt covered creatures floating toward him and assembling into a giant humanoid monster, "bye good!"

Null flew backwards as the towering creature swiped it's arm across the seafloor, causing a wave of salt to fly up toward him. Null wasn't sure his shield would protect him from solid salt, and he didn't want to take any chances. Kim grabbed the chaos emerald and swallowed it, making him glow with power. Null shot energy blasts from his guns at the creature, but nothing seemed to dent him.

Kim threw one of his monster arms at Null, which was dodged. The arm flew right back at him as if it were a boomerang, leaving a trail of salt floating down toward the seafloor behind it. Null needed a strategy to take this guy out. He dodged another attack as he began throwing more and more crystallized bodies. He couldn't do a physical attack, since it would instantly kill him. He would need to use his guns and hit him at a weak point. It was then that he realised that the monster was using the chaos emerald to amplify his power exponentially. He kept sucking up more and more salt bodies in order to get bigger and bigger.

"To kill US, I make body of salt and throw myself into ocean in 2034 or somewhere near year. I not strong enough, though. But not I have crystal glowing inside me and I have the power I need to kill US!"

Null grunted and pulled out another gun, spraying him with bullets. What was a natural repellent of salt? Then he got it! If he could somehow trap the creature cryogenically within a solid, he would be able to imprison him forever. He could tap into the power of the earth in order to conceive liquid nitrogen in order to freeze the water around him. Wait, he wasn't this smart, where was this coming from?

Suddenly, tails voice appeared in his head, "I am feeding you thoughts through my remote neural signal interpreter. Just use the emeralds to change the properties of the nitrogen around you and cryogenically freeze the creature."

Null nodded and began concentrating on isolating the nitrogen in the water around him. He was able to make a layer of liquid nitrogen around the creature and it began to freeze him. Kim was not going to take this, though.

He began to punch at the ice, breaking the thin layer that had already formed, "You think you kill me? Don't force me laugh! My power infinite!"

"You have no idea what it takes to be infinite!" A red light appeared around Null and a brief vision of a distorted entity appeared in his place. The liquid nitrogen began to solidify and Kim screamed as he was frozen solid. As Null looked at the block of solid nitrogen, he noticed the salt was dissipating and the body of Kim Jong Un was the only thing that remained. Null called upon the emerald, and it pierced its way through Kim's chest and flew out to Null. He grasped the emerald, then closed his eyes and controlled all of the emeralds simultaneously. This caused him to fly up nearly instantly to the surface, right next to Tails.

"Ugh, thanks a lot, loser."

"Don't mention it, now let's go to Angel Island!"

"What do you mean 'we'? I work alone, kid."

"You need me, I know where the island is."

Null thought it over and grunted, giving in. He climbed into the back of the plane and they took off. Balance. He would need to have perfect balance if he wanted this mission to be a success. If he didn't have balance, he would likely go insane and the fate of the world would be lost.


	31. The master: an unexpected encounter

Twilight fell over the town in Iowa as Newt ran through the fields to the south. The stars overhead twinkled like candles in the darkness, and the moon shone a beacon of light upon Newt's path. He ran, he ran so far away, he just ran, he ran both night and day, but he couldn't get away from the growing resent he held in his heart.

Newt knew he was only using a fraction of his ability, but he didn't know how he could improve. Silver was long gone, probably dead, and he no longer had the amazing abilities. He couldn't even sense his aura inside him like he used to be able to. This feeling of weakness swallowed him whole, and nothing was able to weaken it's grasp on the young man's heart.

No, he thought, he couldn't let this get to him now. He would need to push away these feelings in order to progress on his quest. His destination, of course, was Puerto Rico, where two important people essential to his quest would be waiting for him, inside a prison. He headed for a forest area up ahead and continued running through, dodging trees.

"Silly boy, you'll never get anywhere running like that!"

Newt stopped and looked around for the source of that voice.

"Identify yourself, man!" Newt shouted at the man.

"You'll never finish your quest if you can't simply find me!" The man jumped from the trees in front of Newt. He was taller than Newt, around 5'11" and wore a cloak. His cloak was long and white, it was covered in red lines which probably made out some sort of symbol. His face was concealed by the shadow of the hat he wore, which was covered up by a hood he wore. His hands clutched a long rod, probably a walking stick, which he leaned on.

"Wh-who are you, man?"

"It doesn't matter who I am, what matters is my plan!"

"I guess I'll have to fight you for information, man!"

"Hmm, interesting suggestion!" He smirked.

Newt grabbed his sword and swung it at the man with incredible speed. The man easily dodged, moving backwards with his cloak flapping in front of him.

"You'll have to be faster than that, kid."

Newt clutched his sword and ran at the man, slicing furiously with accuracy and speed akin to a god. The man, of course, dodged every one of them perfectly. The man then stopped in his tracks and stuck his rod into the ground. Newt slashed the man clean in half, his blood covering the ground.

Newt breathed heavily as he stared down at the corpse. The man looked so helpless on the ground, defeated. But why would he let himself die? Unless…

Newt turned his head as a kunai knife flew past his face, slicing his cheek with precision. Newt looked back at the corpse to see it had disappeared. The man had somehow set in a substitute to look as if he had gotten killed. Newt looked back to where the knife had come from, and noticed the man now stood there, in the same position as he held when Newt cut him down before.

"Who are you and how did you do that, man?"

"Hmm, I think you may be unworthy of both of those answers, let us see. Catch up with me." He turned around, held his arms backwards, and bent forward as he ran away.

Newt gave chase, running as fast as he could to try catching up to the man. The man seemed to move at a superhuman speed, Newt just wasn't fast enough. He continued to run at his top speed through the forest as the man began to disappear from view. It then dawned on Newt something Cory had said and he had a vivid flashback.

Cory and Newt were in the woods where the abandoned building the president had demolished once standed. They were racing, seeing who was the fastest out of the two like most people do. They stood side by side next to a line drawn in the dirt by Cory.

"OK, first one to get to the end of the other line wins, got it?"

Newt nodded sadly, ever since he had lost his silver powers, he was miserable (This is after the battle of Berlin). They stood in ready positions near the line.

"OK, ready, set, go!" Cory shouted at the took off, Cory running with his arms behind his back. Newt lost that race.

"Cory! How did you do that, man?"

"I just hold my arms behind my back, like Naruto, and it makes you go faster… faster… faster…. faster…"

Newt now knew what he had to do in the present. He took the aerodynamic position Cory had held. His back aimed forward, his arms held straight back, and his head tilted up. Instantly, he felt his body accelerate forward at a speed he couldn't have reached before. Now, it seemed, this task would not be impossible to the young man known as Newt. He saw ahead the outline of the man through the fog. The man turned around and smirked to himself, then stopped. Newt propelled forward, trying to stop and ran into a tree, effectively ceasing all forward momentum.

"I see you have learned the run, kid."

"Yes, I have learned it, man, now can you tell me who you are?"

The man stroked his chin and held his hands in front of his chest in a hand signal, "Shadow clone jutsu!" As he shouted this, the man instantly cloned himself a million times around Newt, as if an army had spawned out of one. Newt began to sweat as he was not outnumbered.

"I will give you answers when you earn them." With that, he turned back into one and jumped into the trees. He turned to Newt and stared at him, beconing him to come.

Newt, being the clumsy loser he was, tried to jump into the tree, but was unable to reach the height of the man. He continually tried, but it was worthless, he couldn't do this. A feeling deep within the darkest reaches of his insides could be felt, he had seen this move before somewhere. Espio.

They were within the forest heading toward Washington DC. Cory seemed to be in some sort of trance. They had stopped to hunt for food in this forest. It was decided that Newt and Espio were the most capable people to hunt, as Michael was against killing animals, and Blaze was incompetent. Espio, of course, was disgusted by this decision.

"You better not slow me down, worthless loser."

Newt nodded, but knew he wouldn't be able to. Espio bent his knees and jumped up with his body stretched straight, he flew up into the trees, where he squatted on the branch. He then pushed off the branch and landed on another, jumping from branch to branch through the forest.

Newt, of course, was left behind. The flashback faded away as screaming was heard behind them.

Newt looked up again, this time determined to reach the branch. He bent his knees and jumped, his back straight, but was unable to reach the branch. He landed on the ground and dusted himself up, standing up once again. He stared up at the branch again, and took his position. He could sense every muscle in his body straining as he squatted down, feeling some sort of power awakening inside of him. He jumped.

The world seemed to move in slow motion as Newt flew through the air, an entire forest seemed to be a speck of dust to him as he saw the entire vastness of the universe. Not even molecules could behold this power within him. The fuel that flew through him on a spiritual level, as if his soul existed on a separate plane of reality. When he looked down, he saw he was in the trees with the man.

"Good, you're learning fast, kid. You can call me 'sensei,' Naruto sensei."

Newt's eyes widened as he heard that, was this the real Naruto? The one from the legends?

"This world is falling apart, I'm glad I can be a part of helping you sew it back together, until next time." With that, he saluted and disappeared, leaving Newt dumbfounded.


	32. Deep resent: history of magick

The wind blew through the midnight forest, howling through the night. Newt stood, alone, in the night. A crusader on a mission to save the world, possibly the universe, from an entity with god like powers. Last time, he had learned the ways of the ninja, but had not completed his training. We join him as he jumps from tree to tree, his trenchcoat flying along behind him from the tailwind. The midnight air cold against his pale skin, and his hair flowing backwards with the sound of a deep howl.

Our hero now traveled through Missouri, a state that filled him with misery. According to google maps, there was a national forest in Missouri. Given Naruto's love for forests, Newt assumed he might be located there now. Having now mastered the art of jumping from tree to tree through the forest, he was now able to move at an incredibly rapid pace. If Naruto was able to teach him this much in such a short time, what would he be able to teach him in the long run?

Newt jumped from the treetops down into a clearing in the woods. The sounds of crickets filled the air around him. The only light was the light of the moon shining down from the heavens. Newt closed his eyes and breathed slow and deep. He could feel a presence in his mind during this tranquil moment. A small voice within his head. A voice that grew as he entered a meditative state. Slowly, his toes began to become completely relaxed. Soon after, his feet relaxed, followed by his legs. He could feel every bone, every vein, every nerve. He was entirely aware of himself. The relaxation spread all the way through his torso, and finally to his brain, where he felt total relaxation. In this state, he was able to hear the voice within his head.

But then, Newt realised, it was not a voice, but a entity that could guide him. His brain in its regular form misinterpreted the entity as a voice, when in actuality it was merely a trick that his brain used to comprehend the entity. The entity, though he couldn't see it, appeared to have held some form of power within this earth. The aura it emitted seemed to be good, as a layer of fear could not be felt when sensing it. It hit him faster than the bus that almost hit Cory in the first episode, the entity was the soul of Richard Nixon.

That made sense too. Newt remembered back to the days before Cory came to the White House. His earliest memories were running through the White House and looking at the many portraits of the US presidents. Two always stood out to him, though: Donald Trump and Richard Nixon. Their smiles seemed to captivate Newt, maybe their spirits had found their way into Newt's heart.

Newt felt the spirit of Nixon guide him through the forest, pointing him into a single direction. Newt ran Naruto style toward the beacon that Nixon had laid down. Waiting for him at the destination was the man himself, Naruto.

"Master, please let me learn more, man."

"I shall tell you one thing, then you will need to find me once again," he said as he raised his head, revealing his weathered face with whisker- like lines.

Newt bowed and watched Naruto as he walked over to a tree, looking up it. He then turned to Newt, but he had changed into a woman. A naked woman, that is. Newt stared in awe as the lady winked at him, which instantly made him drool. The woman changed back into Naruto.

"That is the harem jutsu. It's my own creation, a minor change to the transformation jutsu. Now do it."

Newt closed his eyes and tried his hardest to transform. Feeling it within his head, but not seeing it in his body. Who did he know that could use transformation? Well, the second chaos emerald allowed the bearer to transform into anything he wanted, could that be what he needed to use? Newt wasn't sure he could even use remote chaos control again, having only performed it a single time before.

As he began to concentrate on the emerald, a kunai knife flashed past his face, cutting his other cheek. Newt reached up and touched his face as blood began to slowly stream from the wound. The dark crimson liquid oozed down his fingers, staining his skin. The scent of blood instantly set him over, and he began to puke on the ground.

"Using other powers other than just jutsu is not what we are doing right now. I must train you to be a ninja."

"Oh yeah, man? Well who sent you to train me anyway? I don't think I even need your help to become strong. I'm on a different mission, not on one with you!"

"The man who sent me wished to remain anonymous, but he is a very powerful man with a plan to stop the darkness."

"Is it the president? Man?"

Naruto remained silent, possibly using the silence jutsu on himself. He didn't seem to even react at all. Newt didn't know how to use jutsu, who knows it he even cold in the future at all. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

"Ok, man, if you won't answer that, answer to me what jutsu is and how I can use it."

"Silly child, I cannot simply teach you what jutsu is, but I can tell you what it is. Jutus is what happens when you release energy from your chakra. On earth this is often called 'magick,' as it is often misunderstood. Chakra was created by Kek billions of years ago in order to form living creatures. I shall now tell you the entire history of chakra from the beginning of time.

"Kek was born out of nothing. Some say he crossed over from a higher dimension, such as the eleventh dimension. Nobody can comprehend Kek as he is all powerful, yet also all seeing. Kek lived alone in the universe, which was, at the time, nothing. Soon enough, he became bored, and created a dense object which would explode into billions of galaxies, all made of the same elements. As he looked upon all of these, he felt something was missing, so he rearranged the galaxies to form beautiful mosaics in the cosmos. But still, the feeling persisted.

"So the great god kek decided he needed to create sentient beings, ones who could entertain him. He created chakra, magickal energy, which would become a cosmic energy that could not be measured by any device. This energy manifested itself into atoms of carbon elements, mutating them into sentient creatures, which evolved over millions of years to create the first humans. These humans could not understand chakra, and therefore did not use it in their everyday lives. Eventually, they began to use their chakra to advance their civilization unknowingly, not knowing they were using chakra powers.

"When the humans changed to modern day humans, chakra usage increased exponentially. The ancient egyptians were among the first people to understand chakra on a high level. These people even learned of the god Kek, and worshipped him and gave him his modern name. Kek learned of these people, who were the first to know of his existence, and he blessed them with the powerful seven chaos emeralds. These emeralds encompassed every chakra skill: teleportation, transformation, time, termination. Oh and the last three which don't start with t: alter age (which you guys never used), alter gravity, and alter skill. The final emerald is often thought to be Kek himself helping you in battle. All of the chakra skills can be mastered without the emeralds, but they make them easier and more powerful than any ninja can ever hope to be.

"Soon after discovering this, the Japanese also found out about this power, even gaining their own magickal artifact, the headpiece that Cory now wears. Though this would also be their downfall. You see, when civilians start using the power of chakra, the country holds too much power, and thus must be rebalanced. This happened many times throughout history, the Egyptians conquered many times by many other nations, eventually leading to the emeralds being scattered across the earth, the Japanese, losing their entire land to a wasteland with only one remaining temple. Now the United States threatens to become powerful in chakra, with many people now realising its powerful regardless of what the government censors.

"There is one other civilization that had used chakra immensely. It is known as the Aztec empire. In current day mexico, this empire learned that you are able to steal other people's chakra simply by sacrificing them to Kek. This led them to sacrifice many people, eventually making their leader nearly a god. He was known as Montezuma, or Mon, and was elevated to nearly god status with the sacrifices. His chakra level was so high that he held more power than even all of the chaos emeralds combined. Kek sensed Mon and realised that he must be stopped or his power could rival even his own power, so he invented a virus that would enter him and put him into an indefinite slumber.

"This is how the great empire of the Aztecs was defeated. You must know by now why the Aztecs are back, though. Their leader, Mon… he has risen again. It seems that people began sacrificing themselves, which made his chakra level higher than the power of Kek's virus. The indefinite slumber has ended, and the most powerful person in human history has reawoken. This is why I resent you. I need you to be more powerful, more powerful than me. I have learned many things throughout the years, and you won't even listen to me. I wish for my legacy to live on, will you take up the mantle, Newt?"

Newt sighed, now knowing what was at stake, "yes."

Liberated from saying man in every sentence, Newt felt newly anew. Maybe he could do this after all. With the tri-power of espio, shadow, and zero as Null, the immense skill of Cory, and the newly acquired skills of Newt, maybe they could defeat Mon, and possibly defeat the darkness that probably possessed him. Newt stared at Naruto, his hair blowing through the breeze as the sun began to rise on the horizon, "I'm ready to learn."


	33. New master: harnessing magick

Newt ran alongside Naruto through the fields of Missouri, the sky now a bright blue and filled with clouds. A breeze swept through the field, pushing every blade of grass down one by one, as if an invisible arm ran its hand over the field. Summer leaves floated down through the air along with pollen and dandelion seeds. They ran with their hands behind their back, the correct way, each trying to outpace the other.

"There are seven forms of chakra, each related to one of the chaos emeralds you are familiar with. The first one I will be teaching you is the root chakra. This chakra is red in color and represents the idea of being grounded or supported. This represents the sixth emerald, as it controls gravity. To begin, place your feet down on the ground firmly, and feel as if you are connected with the ground. I will then try to knock you down, and you'll need to stay on that spot. Ready?"

Newt nodded and stood still on one spot. He placed his feet around half a meter across from each other, and closed his eyes, concentrating. He concentrated on his feet and the ground, feeling a connection between the two. It was as if he was a negatively charged magnet and the ground was a positively charged one. They connected and would not let go. That is, until an outside force acted upon them.

"Wind style, gust jutsu!" Naruto held his hands in front of him in a formation, causing a large gust of wind to go right toward Newt. Newt concentrated and braced himself, but was knocked down by the wind. Naruto shook his head.

Newt stood back up, now covered in dust, and returned to the spot from before. He once again grounded himself and concentrated on his feet and the ground. He could feel the connection again, and he willed it to be stronger. He concentrated harder and harder.

"Wind style, gust jutsu!" Naruto once again knocked Newt down with his strong wind.

Newt got up and went back to the spot he was at before. He had landed on a rock when he fell and had injured his arm. He stretched the arm and stood once again on the spot. This time he took a deep breath and concentrated, but also meditated like he had before when he discovered Nixon's spirit guiding him. He entered a meditative concentrated state when he could only feel the power of the ground and his feet. Nothing else existed to him at that moment.

"Wind style, gust jutsu!" Naruto let out a gust of wind straight toward Newt. Newt didn't hear him shout, in fact he didn't feel anything. The wind went straight through him and he didn't even feel it. Not even his hair blew with the gust.

"Good, you are beginning to learn the power of the root chakra. Let's move on. The secral chakra. This is the chakra that represents your identity. It is seen as the second chaos emerald, as this allows one to change their identity. I can sense you struggle with this one the most, so we'll skip it for now.

"We will move on to the third chakra, this is the solar plexus, or in your underdeveloped mind it would be called your 'gut feeling.' It is who you are: your wisdom and your confidence. This represents the fifth emerald, as it can change your age and with age comes wisdom."

Naruto jumped back and made 10 shadow clones, "can you find the real one?"

The rest of the clones began to taunt him. Newt concentrated. He needed to find which one of these clones was the real one. He looked inside himself and saw his chakra, then compared that to the chakra of them, but he couldn't see the chakra well, being a starter ninja. He ran toward one he thought might be the real one and threw a punch at him. The clone disintegrated into kunai knives, which stabbed Newt, causing him immense pain. His arms began to bleed from the cuts.

"Come on, kid, you have to use your wisdom and confidence. If you aren't confident that the clone is me, then you'll get stabbed," they all said in unison.

Newt stared at the ten remaining clones. Each one seemed to be exactly the same and moved at the exact same pace. He couldn't even ask them questions, as they all shared the mind of the real Naruto. Newt stared at them, trying to see which one had the strongest chakra. Of course, Newt wasn't good enough to see chakra well yet, so he could only see blurred images that gave him no clues as to who was the real one.

Newt decided to concentrate on them individually. One by one he concentrated on them, looking for something- anything that would help him reveal the real one. As he concentrated on one of them, he felt something. Something down within his gut. He knew this one was the real one. Newt ran toward the Naruto had had concentrated on and punched at him. He closed his eyes, confident that this one was the real one.

The one he had punched jumped back as the other clones faded away into dust, "good, you used your 'gut feeling' to find which shadow clone wasn't really a shadow clone, well done. Next we go to the fourth chakra: Heart. This is associated with the seventh emerald, which is able to cure all wounds among other things. You are covered in wounds. Heal them."

Newt looked down on his arms and saw the blood running down, stinging in the warm breeze. He closed his eyes and imagined the blood forming a clot to block the blood flow. He reached out and place a hand on his arm. Nothing happened.

Suddenly, a kunai knife flung out of nowhere, cutting his arm once more, "each failure must have a punishment. With each try that goes unhealed, you will get another cut. Look inside your heart and feel it's healing powers."

Newt closed his eyes and looked into his chakra. He could sense his heart within it, beating with healing power. He reached out to it spiritually and could feel the power resonate within his hand. He reached out with this power toward his arm, and the cuts instantly healed themselves.

"Good job, next we will examine the fifth chakra: throat. This represents your ability to speak as well as your ability to seek out truth. This resonates with the fourth emerald, which is able to null any power the other emeralds have, but a little known fact about it is that it makes anyone who holds it always tell the truth. This may be your most difficult task, you must tell me your greatest secret."

Newt's eyes went wide as he stared at Naruto. His mind raced as he thought of what to tell him. His greatest secret? Which one was the worst of all?

"U-um I collect sonic comics?"

A shuriken flew at Newt and lodged itself within his shoulder. He cried out in pain from the sharp, cold metal within his skin. Newt began to sweat, this man could kill him at any time. He would need to be careful.

"I watch hentai!" Another shuriken hit him, this time in the hip.

"I don't have a belly button!" One hit him in the leg.

"I was in love with blaze!" One hit him in the collarbone. He could tell the next one would hit a vital organ.

"I dug up blazes body from her grave and now keep it behind the white house!" Silence fell over the field. No shurikens were thrown.

"Wow that's pretty weird. Well anyway, next up is the sixth chakra the third eye. This is represented by the seventh emerald, which allows you to achieve a heightened vision on the world. I will throw countless kunai knives at you, and I want you to dodge every single one of them while your eyes are closed and you cannot hear."

A loud ringing sound ran through Newt's ears and he couldn't hear anything, then his vision went black and he couldn't see anything. He felt like Helen Keller. He decided he would need to concentrate in order to see what he couldn't see. He would have to search for impossibly small changes in the air around him. When a kunai knife flies through the air, the space around it warps to fit its shape and allow a passage through. It is not cutting through the air, the air is willingly moving to accommodate its form. He would need to search for this accommodation and then use simple equations to find out where it would land based on its trajectory.

Of course, though, Newt is an idiot who doesn't understand any of this.

A knife flew from his right and sliced open his knee. Newt fell to the ground, gasping for air as he cried in pain. Another one hit him in the back, creating a cut that oozed blood which stained his clothes. He screamed out in pain, but couldn't even hear himself. He tried to concentrate, but the pain was too much. Another knife hit him right in the arm, slicing it open and causing blood to drip down to his hand. The knives stopped then, and Newt stayed on the ground whining and crying.

He knew that is he was going to survive this, he would need to stand up and look out with his third eye. He would just need to feel the slight push of air. For example, if a car was to hit water, the water would fling forward before going overtop of the car. This could be applied to the air and the knife, though the feeling would be nearly undetectable to normal humans. Newt stood up, limping from his injuries. He looked out with his third eye and tried to see where the knives were coming from.

A knife flew from his right and hit him in the foot. Newt screamed out as he once again fell to the ground. Another knife hit him square in the stomach. As Newt laid in pain on the ground, covered in his own blood, he sensed something small heading toward him. He quickly moved his arm as a kunai knife flew straight toward it, missing his arm by centimeters. Newt knew he had dodged the knife. His celebration was cut short, though, as he was hit with another knife in the arm.

Bleeding and weak, Newt laid there, ready to die. The knives had stopped for now, but he knew more would come soon. He reached into his chakra and tried to pull out willpower from it in order to achieve his goal. He would need to use all of his abilities so far in order to pass this test.

First, he reached into his heart chakra in order to heal his wounds. He felt instantly better and was able to stand up, though worse injuries, such as the one to his knee, would not be fixed and he limped. This would be difficult with that limp. He then used his first chakra, ground, in order to steady himself and keep himself stable. Next, he used the third eye to see where a change in air was. He could see that there were a few places that the knife could be coming from, and used his gut feeling to see which one would be the real one, then checked it to see if it was true in his mind. He then moved slightly and avoided the knife, which hit the ground nearby.

He felt another one coming from another place and moved accordingly to dodge it. Soon after, two knives flew toward him, one to his left and one to the place he would move to dodge the first one. He moved into another place to dodge both of them. He searched out for another one, but didn't see one, but many. Knives seemed to be flying from every direction toward him, and he felt them closing in. New concentrated and felt himself move spatially into another area. No knives hit him. His hearing and sight soon after returned to him.

Naruto approached him, pointing to the place where the knives had hit, "there was no possible way to dodge all of those knives, so you used the seventh chakra, which represents your connection to everything and the first emerald, in order to teleport to another place where you would be safe. You mastered a chakra skill that I didn't even mention, and used it to enter a seppuku form. You are nearly finished with your training in chakra, but you first need to tell me, who are you?

"You see, the final test is your most vigorous one. This is one you struggle with daily. Are you a man, or are you a hedgehog from another dimension? This question haunts you, as you have been both. So let me ask you again, who are you?"

Newt thought about his life.

Born as a hedgehog within another dimension, he trained with blaze for many years before an ancient evil awoke and threatened his world. He then teamed up with sonic and shadow to defeat the evil and save both timelines. But something had happened. Someone had seen his immense power and wanted it for himself.

Doctor Robotnik, or eggman, ruthlessly hunted him down for many years. Each time he came closer and closer to capturing him as silver. This caused him to enter a paranoid state and made his powers worse and worse. He would need to escape this, but he couldn't let eggman capture him, as that would mean he would have all powerful psychic abilities. He would need to use one of his powers to hide his spirit.

He condensed his thoughts into a small area of consciousness, then created Newt, a human who lived within the white house. Silver then tricked a senator to think he had a son named Newt. Newt lived for many years in this state, not remembering his past life and creating his own life for himself, no matter how stupid it may have been. Newt met Cory, who taught him many things like sonic and anime. This is when he began to change.

Newt figured he was something different, but never knew why. When he entered the temple in the wasteland of Japan, Newt realised that something was that he was a silver psychic hedgehog. When Newt entered his silver form again, he felt immense power. Power he couldn't begin to comprehend. He began to feel he had a worth in this world.

After losing the power of silver, he felt worthless once again, which brought him into a deep depression. He left all of his family and friends behind and bought an apartment to live alone, trying desperately to turn into silver again. He was never able to. His money quickly ran out and he was forced to work a job. The only person who would hire him was the owner of a retail store. He hated this job. He felt less than worthless when he worked it. Luckily, Cory and his gang were able to capture him and take him with them.

Throughout their journey to find the chaos emeralds, Newt learned more about his past as silver and eventually was able to reclaim the powers of silver. He once again felt he had power. All of that changed one fateful day when silver was eliminated from existence by the Nazis. He was now back to worthless Newt, but he knew that now he could never turn back to silver again. Silver was dead.

That was it. Silver was dead. He didn't have to think about his past accomplishments because that person was dead. He had survived longer than the powerful person he had been before, and now could make a new name for himself.

He looked at Naruto with confidence, "I am Newt."


	34. Alabama

Cory and Alex rode on the bus through Florida heading west. The entire way, Alex taught Cory about the many sectors of demons and who hated who. Alex Jones also showed Cory some of his cool devices, such as a demon cognitive distortion, a spacial zombie modifier, and his personal favorite: a waifu rejuvenator. They tried to use the waifu rejuvenator on Cory, but he was ugly even as a girl so they changed him back.

Cory spent many days staring out the windows outside, looking at the force field that covered the entire state of florida. It was no longer needed, as the vampires were all dead after Alex set off some sort of plasma thing. According to Alex, tectonic plate troopers, who worked for the reptilians as a sort of secret cia force thing, would be coming to arrest them soon as they had killed a reptilian. Cory didn't worry about that, though, since he was now heading toward Alabama.

Ah Alabama. The state that Cory had always wanted to visit, but was never allowed to. You see, Alabama had reformed the confederacy and now mass produced radiation guns that they have armed every person in the state with. Cory was not allowed in the state, as he was born in the union, and thus was an outsider.

Walls were constructed outside Alabama to keep the union traitors out, and thus the everyday activities of the confederates were vague and unknown. To enter, they would need to be stealthy, and the giant bus they drove in was the perfect cover. Not because it was giant, but because it could cloak itself, of course. Espio, the navigation system and on board computer, guided them through the plan in his trademark british accent.

"The walls are impenetrable, sir, so we will need to break in. Since no one leaves or enters the state, we will need to enter stealthily. The algorithms that I have run tell me that the best way to ensure success in this situation is to enter cloaked and merely drive around invisible until we find a place rural enough to not be seen."

"Sounds like a neat-o plan, espio!" Cory shouted.

The bus began to take off into the air and cloaked itself. It then flew off toward Alabama, over the walls and into the unknown. The city they arrived in appeared to be functioning normal, except for a few differences. There didn't appear to be any cars functional in the town, and, according to the sensors of espio, the air was highly irradiated. People seemed to stay inside most of the time judging by the population outside. Another oddity was that all of the churches had been vandalized with the word "atom" over their signs. It could be inferred that the radiation gun production that Alabama specialized in had been highly influential in their culture.

They drove past the town out into the country, where they discovered the existence of an abandoned building in the woods. The building was tall and appeared to be some sort of mental hospital, long abandoned, probably nearly 70 years ago in the early 2000s. Espio parked next to it and put on a cloak that made him look entirely abandoned. Vines grew out of the broken windows, and spray painted messages drew themselves across the walls.

Cory looked out at the abandoned building, wondering who had been there while it had originally operated. He imagined the courtyard in front filled to the brim with children and patients who lived there, playing and laughing together despite their differences mentally. He imagined a lunchroom where the sounds of a thousand people melted together to form a loud, yet charming sound while plates clinked together. He imagined the bedrooms, where people would be treated, hoping to one day be cured of their differences. He imagined the day it closed, when everyone left. Nothing left but a legacy and the rotting remains of what once was.

"The radiation activity here must be caused by the tests of nuclear bombs within the area by the reptilian overlords." Alex figured.

"Actually, sir Alex, my sensors indicate that it is coming from a factory that produces radiation guns that every citizen has here." Espio added.

"I think the reptilians are hacking your censors."

Cory stared at the building, looking at the foliage that laid across the ruins. When looking through one window, he thought, for a moment, that he saw a face peeking out of it at him. He needed to figure out if it was real or not, so he jumped from the bus and ran into the building, ignoring the residents of the bus.

If the outside of the building looked horrible, the inside reeked of decay. Many places saw the ceiling sagging from water damage, and cracked floors could be seen everywhere. Walking to the center of the reception area, Cory could see the sky through the three other floors. He was reminded of his time within the abandoned building near DC, where he was haunted by slenderman. Later, he entered another one that belonged to the now destroyed creepypasta gang.

The person, or thing, he had seen in the window was on the third floor, so he would need to find his way there. He walked through the halls, searching for a staircase. The somber, bittersweet feeling he had felt when thinking about the lives of the people who had once lived there returned as he looked upon the remains of their residences. Each room was different, just like each person who was here was different. Lives lost to the past became legacies clear as day to Cory.

Reaching the end of the hall, he found the staircase room, but he didn't want to walk up all of those stairs so he decided to enter the elevator and ride it to the top. He entered the elevator, which instantly fell to the bottom floor under his weight. Cory coughed from the asbestos, and got up, straining from the fall. Now he would need to make his way up four floors instead of three.

The basement was fairly bright from all the daylight seeping in through the holes in the ceiling. There were many wheelchairs down here, along with maintenance devices. Cory discovered the generator room, but it appeared to be missing all the essential components that it would need to store power. What kind of vandal would know which components were expensive, though?

Soon enough, Cory discovered the stairs to the first floor… nearly falling apart. Cory nearly screamed in frustration, he wouldn't be able to escape this basement. Ever.

Then Cory remembered that he had basically infinite power using the bandana of power. He put the bandana on and used it to manipulate the air under him, causing him to lift off the ground and through the holes in the floors. Cory slowly flew upwards, all the way onto the third floor. He then removed his bandana and walked through the floor toward the area where he had seen the man, or the thing, or the woman.

Cory checked every room for signs of someone. None seemed to even have evidence of anyone being there in years. He looked out the window in one of the rooms, looking out into the vast reaches of the confederacy. Trees covered the area around them, masking the building with camouflage from the foliage. Past the trees were roads, long abandoned with the absence of cars and buses. Trains could be seen moving, this was how the people got around. Past this district was the town, and past that was a large imposing factory; the radiation gun plant.

"Spectacular, isn't it? No matter how imposing the scenery is."

Cory quickly turned around, drawing his katana. A man stood there. The man had grey hair and looked very old, around 80. His clothes were torn in many places, and it looked like he had camped out here for years.

"Wh-who are you?" Cory stuttered.

The man lit a cigarette and walked up next to Cory, leading against the windowsill, "The name's Tim. I was born and raised in Alabama. You?"

"I'm Cory, why do you live out here?"

"Hmm, isn't that the question? Years ago, way back in 2009, me and my friends encountered a creature out here. We filmed it as a film project, masquerading it as acting. We called it the operator, but you'd know it as slenderman. Me, Troy and Alex filmed many times in this building. Those were good times. Where have they gone?"

"I have s-seen slenderman too!"

Tim continued to look out at the factory, "You probably haven't seen what he can do to you. Alex went insane because of that thing. What started as a fun project turned into a nightmare when he tried to kill me to stop the spread of the monster. I was able to stop him before he killed both me and Troy. But that wasn't the end of the story, that story is the reason Alabama is like it is today."

"What is it like here?"

"Well for starters, you've probably seen there are no cars or trucks or anything. The governor became obsessed with creating radiation guns for everyone, basically making the entire state one big army," Tim took his cigarette out and stomped it into the ground, looking down, Cory could see he had done this many times before, "the entire country has decided to worship atoms or something, they seem to welcome radiation as a source of life. It seems everyone has gone insane."

"How does this relate to yo friends?" Cory said, slurring because he wanted to be quirky.

Tim sighed, "who are you and why do you care?"

"I'm an agent from DC who is on my way to Texas to relive the alamo."

Tim rolled his eyes, "whatever. The slenderman or whatever you call him seemed to effect Troy in addition to Alex. Troy seemed normal at first, but then began to change and become more and more radical. Eventually he was elected governor, projecting his views on the entire state. Using the idea of a free Alabama, Troy was able to manipulate the people and eventually make them believe everything else he said other than that. You see, Troy thought radiation was the source of life, that's why he wants everyone to worship it. He's still in power today, but no one has seen him in a while."

"Well where is he? I want to kill him and liberate Alabama."

"You can't simply do that. The entire state thinks he's some sort of savior to all. There's no hope, you should just move on."

"I can't do that."

Tim sighed, "I guess I'll need to do something worthwhile in my life, might as well start now. I will help you, maybe I can talk to him and convince him to join us."

"Thank you, Tim."

"Yeah, sure."

Cory and Tim made their way outside, where they saw Alex Jones waiting for them next to the bus. They all entered it, but it was then that they learned that scavengers from the cult had taken essential parts to the bus, thus making it undrivable. Cory exited the bus, crying over their loss of espio. He looked out, setting his sights on the factory, which was also the capital.


	35. Old Foes

"Ok, guys, we need to get to the factory in order to take out Roy, who has taken espio's parts and stuff!" Cory shouted.

"Troy." Tim said simply, looking bored.

"But how are we going to sneak in there with so many demon possessed people out there?" Alex inquired.

Tim rolled his eyes, "They aren't possessed by demons, they are just incredibly loyal to Troy and his ideals."

"I can feel it, they are possessed by demons. Soon they'll start to kiss you and implant their eggs into your stomach for breeding."

Tim rolled his eyes, obviously not buying any of this. He pointed toward the factory, "That is where the radiation guns are produced, but it's also the capital of the confederacy of Alabama. We will need to somehow sneak through the town that surrounds it and make it to the factory to face Troy, Maybe I'll be able to reason with him and we can stop this madness."

Cory nodded and began running away with his arms behind his back toward the town. Alex followed suit, with Tim merely jogging behind them. Tim thought about his life before the great divide between Troy and him. Their videos on YouTube were some of the greatest memories he had ever had. Tim remembered all the good times they had following around slenderman through the woods and abandoned buildings. Just him, Troy, Alex, and…. Brian.

Tim remembered the tragedy of Brian. Brian had been Tim's best friend. As much as he didn't want to admit it, slenderman had an effect on Tim. This effect caused him to have multiple personas, two to be exact. At times, Tim would get a strange feeling and become a silent, stalking figure. He would don a mask, hiding in the woods, searching for something called the ark. Often he would follow Brian around, who had the same issue as Tim. Together they searched for the ark.

What was the ark? They never knew. At least Tim didn't know in his regular consciousness. It didn't matter anymore, anyway. Brian had fallen onto a concrete floor from a window, which had killed him. The worst part was that Tim watched him fall, he may have even caused his death.

Tim looked down as he ran, he was just as bad as Troy.

They approached the town and crouched down behind a building. There didn't appear to be anyone on the streets, so Cory figured it was clear to go. He jumped out in the open and ran toward the direction the factory was in. Tim facepalmed at Cory's stupidity, reluctantly following Alex as they ran after Cory.

As if out of nowhere, hundred of people appeared in front of Cory. These people all wore rags and held radiation guns, pointed straight at Cory. Tim rolled his eyes as he held his arms up, surrendering. A man wearing robes walked ahead of them, he had a beard and looked around Tim's age.

"Hm. I see you're doing well Noah," Tim said to the man.

"Ah Tim, I thought you killed yourself or something years ago, good to see you. NOT!" Noah began to laugh, the rest of the people also began to laugh even though it wasn't funny.

"So what are you, some sort of priest now?"

Noah closed his eyes, annoyed, "I am not a priest, I'm a reverend! I teach the people about atom!"

"Who is Adam?"

"NOT ADAM, ATOM! Give me one good reason why we shouldn't kill you right now."

"For old times sakes, anyway this guy right here holds a lot of power, so maybe he'd be useful to you," Tim said, pointing to Cory.

"No! I don't want to join an organized religion!" Cory shouted.

"Be careful Tim, don't want to lose your temper again, remember what happens then!" Noah said, taunting Tim.

Tim pulled out a carton of pills and took one, "That hasn't happened in years, anyway this kid right here killed slenderman, so he has no power over me anymore."

Noah began to laugh heartily at Tim, "you think a chubby kid like that could kill a being like slenderman? No way. Anyway, he's still here. He is seen many times throughout the day."

"WHAT?!" Cory shouted, remembering his climactic battle with the entity within the Japanese monastery, "you're lying!"

Suddenly darkness fell upon the people as slenderman teleported in between the two parties, staring straight at Cory.

"Hehehe, you have a choice, kid. Get killed from an all powerful entity or join us as a child of atom!" Noah shouted over the wind that had now begun to pick up.

Tim fell to the ground, coughing and wheezing. Blood began to come out as he coughed into the ground.

"Looks like his power is still affecting you, isn't it Tim? Guess this is payback for calling me out on twitter all those years ago, hehehe!"

Memories of Brian flooded back to him. He remembered the mask he wore, how it felt. He remembered chasing after Brian, looking for answers. Brian taunting him with the mask. Brian had never been himself since he had encountered slenderman. Unlike Tim, who would always go back to normal, the day Alex took Brian to see slenderman, he had entered a state much like Tim, and had never gone back.

Tim began to scream out as he had a seizure, falling to the ground in pain and shaking uncontrollably. The sky turned dark and rain began to fall on the town as Tim began to change mentally. Slenderman continually stared at him, making it worse and worse.

"I killed you once, I'll do it again!" Cory shouted, drawing his katana and putting on his bandana. Slenderman turned to him, sending a familiar chill through his body. The cold, raspy voice of slenderman invaded his brain, seemingingly infiltrating his mind.

" _So the hero returns, thinking he had killed me. Wrong, I cannot be killed. I cannot be stopped. I am a being of pure darkness."_

"I have fought the darkness before as well, you should be easy!" Cory entered his seppuku form, a yellow aura flared up around him. He charged at Slenderman, slashing at him with his katana of light. Lightning flashed as the blade my contact with him, silhouetting them within the blinding light.

When Cory looked, slenderman was staring at him, unharmed, " _foolish child, you have learned nothing from our last battle."_

Alex Jones stared at Slenderman, trying to decide what he should do. This thing had immense power, seemingly infinite strength. Maybe he could use his filtration matrix to lower its power and allow Cory to survive longer.

"Eat this, demonic overlord!" Alex threw his filtration matrix, a glass vial with a blinking light at the end, at Slenderman, hitting him square in the face. It seemed to be ineffective on the entity, and Alex once again felt useless.

"I remember that you can't harm me unless it is mentally, so why don't you do that?" Cory shouted, his nose beginning to bleed.

Slenderman began to laugh a sinister laugh, " _Child, I will no longer need to harm you directly once my slave has reawoken."_

Cory looked in horror at Tim, who panted in agony on the ground. He was going to change Tim into some sort of monster. A mask appeared in front of him, it seemed to be a normal white mask with black marker painted around the eyes and lips. Tim got up robotically, seemingly fully recovered from his seizure, and picked up the mask. Slowly he raised it to his face, completing the transformation. Slenderman teleported away to the sidelines to watch his creation kill Cory.

" _Remember Alex's final message to you before you killed him. If anyone is left, kill them, then kill yourself."_

Tim twitched and pulled out a knife, walking toward Cory. The children of atom watched the scene unfold, most undisturbed by it. Noah seemed excited that Tim had become the monster he once was.

"I-I don't want to hurt you…" Cory shouted, thinking back to the hospital, where he had met Tim. He remembered the piled ash right below the windowsill, guessing how many times he had stood in that exact spot, watching the world change. He thought about the tragedy of the three friends, they just wanted to have fun, but they were permanently changed by this creature.

Lighting flashed again and two bodies appeared in front of Tim, the bloody remains of Alex, who Tim had stabbed, and the broken and twisted corpse of Brian, who still worse his mask. Tim looked down on them momentarily, and continued to walk toward Cory. He raised his knife as he was mere feet away from the boy. Cory dropped his katana, accepting his fate.

Then Cory looked up at the man in front of him. He looked through the mask into the man's eyes. It was then that he realised that this was the same man as before, he had not changed. He had fought the power of Slenderman and wasn't a creature.

Tim threw his knife to the side, hitting Noah straight in the heart. Everything seemed to become a blur to Cory as the cultists flew into a rage, recklessly shooting off their radiation guns. Tim grabbed Cory's arm and pulled him along as they ran through the streets toward their destination: the factory. Alex followed them close behind.

As they neared the facility, Slenderman appeared before them, " _Fools, you cannot escape my wrath. I have more power over you than your smug little brain thinks."_

Tim pulled out his bottle of pills and handed it to Cory. Cory looked inside to see there was only one pill left. He swallowed it, only choking a little and held his arm up, his katana teleporting into his hand. It is said that katana's are tied to their samurai, forever welded to their soul. This was true for Cory.

Cory closed his eyes, and entered his mind, connecting with Slenderman within his own realm. He opened his eyes to see he was within a forest. Across the clearing was slenderman, but he looked different. On his head he wore a fedora, very classy. On top of his usual suit he had on a trenchcoat that blew in the wind. He turned his head toward Cory, tipping his fedora over where his eyes would be. A 6 foot long katana of dark steel appeared in his hand as he turned 180 degrees to face Cory.

Cory held his katana with both hands in front of him, and entered his seppuku form, a yellow aura appearing around him once more. Slenderman seemed to smirk, " _I'm glad you've grown in power since we last fought, I have as well."_

A barrage of tentacles came toward Cory from Slenderman's back. Cory slashed his sword in a figure eight in front of him, cutting the tentacles as they came. As they flew off, they vaporized into black dust which disappeared to oblivion. Cory advanced slowly, cutting the tentacles as he went. Soon, he neared Slenderman, who almost caught him off guard with the swing of his dark blade.

Cory backflipped over the blade, narrowly dodging the blow. He held up his sword as the entity swung his own blade around, using the momentum from his slash to carry a ton of force at Cory. The two swords clashed together, sending sparks falling to the ground. They were locked in a standoff, swords stuck together like glue as they glared at one another.

Slenderman jumped backwards, his trenchcoat flying as he landed a few feet away, " _Nothing personal, kid."_ He tipped his fedora and entered a seppuku form, charging at Cory with his blade thrusted out. Cory dodged to the side, increasing the power of his seppuku. The aura turned to orange as he raised his blade and charged at slenderman, jumping and slashing downward at the entity.

Slenderman blocked the attack, but Cory expected that. He quickly spun his blade around and slashed again, this time cutting Slenderman's cheek. Black blood ran down the monster's face as his fedora flew off. Slenderman stood up straight and let off an aura of pure pain and misery at Cory.

It was then that it occured to Cory that none of this was real. Slenderman was manipulating his mind to trick him into thinking this was real. Cory willed his mind to reveal the truth and closed his eyes. When he opened them, the trenchcoat and the katana had disappeared. All that was left was a faceless man in a suit with no power. Not even his seppuku form was real. It seemed as if the pill Tim had given Cory had actually worked.

Cory stood up and began walking toward Slenderman, the souls of Alex and Brian appearing behind him, "You don't have power anymore, but I do!" With that incredibly uncool final sentence, Cory slashed Slenderman in half. When he opened his eyes, he watched as the real slenderman screamed in pain, then fell to the ground, lifeless. His body then disintegrated into dust and was washed away by the rain.

"Wow, you actually did it, kid," Tim said with his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, that was pretty good for an ametuer demon hunter!" Alex shouted.

"I know, if only a girl had seen that."

"I don't know, the girls around here seem to be a bit too religious," Tim joked as he pointed to the children of atom. Everyone laughed as they walked toward their final destination: the factory.


	36. Old Friends

Tim, Alex, and, of course, Cory walked toward the gated factory. It loomed overhead, blurred by the now pouring rain. The entire facility gave off an eerie vibe, probably due to the high volume of radiation that was coming out of it.

The trio walked through the gate and were instantly surrounded by children of atom with radiation guns. The leader motioned for them to follow as he began to walk away. As the three followed, the crowd surrounded them, holding them at an arm's length with their guns pointed at them. At any moment, any of them could be blasted with a lethal dosage of radiation, instantly giving them radiation sickness, and causing their skin to peel off. Truly this was a gruesome way to die.

The leader led them into the factory. The inside was huge and filled with conveyor belts. It seemed to be built out of an old car factory, as cars could be see piled in the corner. The steel walls seemed to be rusted from the excess radiation that filled the factory. Next to the belts were workers, tirelessly assembling radiation guns for the use of the children of atom. They were using a variety of parts to assemble them, mostly ones taken from cars.

The leader nudged them to keep moving as he led them past the factory floor up a flight of stairs. The upstairs portion of the factory seemed entirely different. It was furnished and had red carpeting through a hallway with many doors along the side. It reminded Cory of the white house interior.

The leader shut the door behind them and locked it, leaving Alex, Cory, and Tim alone. Piano music and singing could be heard from the door at the end of the hallway.

"It's nine o' clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in."

Cory looked at a clock and realised it was 9 and that it was Saturday, it was as if this was a fated meeting.

"There's an old man sitting next to me, making love to his tonic of gin."

Cory and the gang cautiously made their way to the end of the hallway, opening the door to find yet another staircase. The music grew louder.

"He says son, can you play me a memory, I'm not really sure how it goes."

Tim ran ahead up the stairs, followed closely by the others, and found a door at the top, opening the door to find a man with grey hair sitting at a piano in front of a large window in a room that looked much like the oval office.

"But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete…"

"...when I wore a younger man's clothes…" Tim finished, whispering.

The man stopped playing, turning around in his chair and standing up. He looked around Tim's age, and wore a suit and tie. Unlike the other members of the cult, this man wasn't in bad shape and had a less depressing vibe.

"Ah, so we finally meet face to face," the man said, smiling and holding his arms out to his sides.

"Yes, it's been a while, hasn't it, Troy?" Tim stated.

"Take that mask off, Tim," Troy said, pointing the the mask.

Tim removed his mask and held it to his side. Troy approached him and studied him, then pointed to a mirror on the wall where they both could be seen.

"When did we become old men, Tim?"

"I'd say about 30 years ago."

"Hmm," Troy scratched his beard and walked around, "So what brought you here, could it be the fat kid?"

"No, I just got tired of all the radiation and came to take back an old friend."

"Do you remember, Tim, the incidents of 2011?" Troy asked, turning back to Tim.

Tim was taken aback, "Of course, they haunt me every day."

Troy nodded, walking back over to his piano and sitting on the stool, "So you remember what happened to me?"

Tim hesitated, then nodded.

Troy turned his head, now glaring at Tim, "Let me inform the newcomers, then. Alex was a mutual friend of ours, but he had been completely changed by the operator and had a gun. I'd tracked him down to an abandoned college campus and had located him. Long story short, I ran into Alex and was shot in the side. Tim here decided to come later and look for me, but found my camera and just left me, not even trying to find my body."

Tim looked down in shame.

"Furthermore, after leaving me to die, he killed Brian, another friend of ours."

Tim glared at Troy, "I didn't know he was Brian, he was wearing a mask!"

Troy rolled his eyes and pulled out a knife from his pocket, "Do you know what this is?"

Tim's eyes went wide.

"Yes, this is the knife you used to stab Alex to a bloody pulp with. I watched it. You stabbed him and stabbed him. The man was insane, but no one deserves that. You were no better than Alex, you are a cold blood killer."

Tim closed his eyes. He thought he was in the right all those years ago. Had he really killed all those people? He had always blamed slenderman for the killings, but looking back, he saw that every death could be related to him.

Cory walked up to Tim, "It's ok to kill people if they are bad!"

Tim nodded, "But none of them were really bad."

Cory didn't know what to think anymore. He turned to Tim and saw him stand up, "What I've done in the past doesn't justify the current state of Alabama. You have turned it into a brainwashed state full of idiots!"

Troy was getting visibly angry, and he stabbed his knife into his piano, causing it to stick out of the top of it. Troy meant business. Dramatic music begins to play, "You have no idea what you're up against! Atom is real and each one holds an entire universe in it! Soon the bombs will drop and millions of universes will be born in a single instance."

"That's crazy and it ignores tons of physics facts, Troy." Tim shouted.

Troy grabbed the knife out of the wood and ran at Tim, stabbing. Tim dodged and tried to hit Troy with his fists, but missed. The momentum from his punch made him stagger forward, which Troy used to his advantage to stab at Tim once again. This stab also missed. Troy began slashing relentlessly at Tim, Tim retaliated by jumping back with every swipe of the knife.

"YOU are the maniac here. YOU are the one who killed so many people who were close to you. YOU KILLED BRIAN!" Troy shouted at Tim.

"You killed your old self and now have withered away into who you are today. Your identity was lost countless years ago and now you're just an old man with immense power over near illiterate people. You are worthless."

"You idiot! I invented the radiation gun and I started the religion of the children of atom. After all of this I'd expect to have a little recognition!"

Tim rolled to the side as Troy slashed once more. He did a low sweep kick to try and knock Troy off his feet, but Troy was quicker than him and jumped back in time to dodge it. He then slashed at Tim, this time making contact with his arm, slashing a deep cut into the side of it. Tim recoiled in pain and fell backwards, holding his arm.

"Remember the words of Alex before he died: if anyone's left, kill them, then kill yourself. Alex was trying to stop the spread of the operator, but he didn't realise that the spread was already out of control. You didn't listen to him. You should have killed yourself while you had the chance!" Troy jumped at Tim, swinging his knife down at the man.

Tim rolled away just in time and grabbed his mask, putting it on. His arm was now stained with sticky blood, but he couldn't stop now. Only one of them would leave this office and it would be him.

"Troy, give it up! We can make Alabama great again and powerful. We can make the future brighter!"

"The future is already bright with a thousand fusion reactions across the globe! The inevitable cannot be avoided!" Troy shouted, running at Tim with his knife.

The knife was originally Troy's. Troy had gone insane toward the end of their webseries and had tried to kill Tim with that exact knife. Later, Tim found the knife and used it to finish off Alex. After this fight, Tim had passed out and dropped the bloody knife, he now knew what happened to it.

Troy relentlessly attacked Tim, trying his hardest to make contact with him. Tim seemed to be able to dodge every strike well, only getting hit once or twice.

"Alex, Brian, almost me. How many more people have you killed since then? I'm guessing you killed Noah too?" Troy asked as he strained his muscles to go faster.

"Yes, he was annoying."

Troy smirked, "Yes, but he was loyal. Unlike you he didn't betray my trust."

Tim's eyes went wide as he felt a sharp, cold pain. Troy chuckled as he stood there with his knife thrusted out. Tim looked down at his chest, seeing the knife sticking out of it. Troy pulled the knife away, backing up and laughing. Tim fell down to his knees, moaning in pain.

"Pathetic," Troy said as he walked over to his piano and sat down.

Cory and Alex rushed over to Tim, who was wide eyes and nearly dead.

"Tim…" Cory mumbled as he bent down near him.

"C-Cory… take the mask… take… the… mask…" Tim fell over onto the floor.

A friendship built from college, the four film majors worked together to make something of their lives. Accidentally stumbling across something sinister, they were thrusted into a world of pain and betrayal. The effects of the entity were strong on the four, and none of them came out of this paranoia and fear the way they had entered. First Brian, then Alex, and finally Tim. All that were left of the original four was Troy, the one who had brought them together in the first place. Now he had won. He had gotten his way. The entire state of Alabama was his. But he was alone.

Cory grabbed Tim's mask and walked up to Troy, "What's the next step of your master plan?"

Troy pulled an object out of his pocket and held it up, "I will make myself immortal with the power of atom!"

He was holding a radiation gun. He held it up to his head and shot it. A green disk of radiation shot out of it, completely engulfing the man with powerful gamma rays. Sensing danger, Alex motioned for Cory to escape with him. Cory nodded and grabbed Tim's body, carrying it with the glove that made everything weigh nearly nothing that the president had given him.

As Cory left, he turned around to see what Troy had become. Before him stood a rotting and barely human man. His skin was chipping off, his hair was barely there anymore, and his eyes popped out of his skull, barely held in. Troy had given up his humanity for the sake of immortality.

Cory and Alex ran out of the factory and back to the woods where their bus ship sat. Surprisingly, most of the cultists were gone now and Alabama seemed calm once more. Cory ran with the body of Tim toward the ruins, where he heard a faint gasp.

By some unknown miracle, perhaps by the great Kek himself, Tim spoke, "Br-bring me… to the… window…"

Cory nodded and took Tim up the stair (not the elevator this time) to the third floor, where he sat Tim down facing out the window. The sun was rising on the horizon, painting the sky pastel pinks and oranges. Tim smiled at the view and opened his hand, dropping an item out of it. He let out one final breath and died.

Cory looked down to see the thing he had dropped was the part he needed to fix Espio! Tim had found it within the factory and had taken it with him. Cory grabbed the piece and looked at the dead body of Tim leaning against the window ledge. Watching over Alabama forever but powerless to do anything about it. Not much had changed, but now Tim had closure.

Cory put Tim's mask into his bag and walked down the stairs into the bus.

"A lot has happened in the demon world since a few days ago, I assume!" Alex shouted.

"Wait, now there are two Alex's to keep track of? This could get confusing!" Cory shouted.

They fixed the bus and it roared back to life.

"Where to next, master Cory?" Espio said, charmingly.

"Louisiana!"

Espio activated the thrusters and turned to the west. They then shot off over the ruins of Alabama, heading onward toward a new adventure.


	37. The Island

Null looked down at the water below as he flew with Tails on his plane. Below him flew an exact replica, only distorted by the waves. Clones. Was he a clone? What constitutes one as a clone? Or was he just a man made entity?

 _I reflect on my reflection_

 _As I ask myself the question_

 _Who am I and I am still who I am?_

 _I don't know_

 _Am I a man?_

 _Or am I a man made entity?_

 _(Am I a man made entity)_

 _If I'm a man made entity, then I'm a very manly man made entity_

 _(very manly man made entity)_

 _Am I a man made entity?_

 _(man made entity)_

 _Or am I a man?_

 _(Am I a man?)_

 _If I'm a man, that makes me a man made entity of a man_

 _(a man made entity of a man)_

 _I look into these eyes_

 _And I don't recognize_

 _The one I see inside_

 _It's time for me to decide_

 _Am I a man?_

 _Or am I a man made entity?_

 _(Am I a man made entity)_

 _If I'm a man made entity, then I'm a very manly man made entity_

 _(very manly man made entity)_

 _Am I a man made entity?_

 _(man made entity)_

 _Or am I a man?_

 _(Am I a man?)_

 _If I'm a man, that makes me a man made entity of a man_

 _(a man made entity of a man)_

 _Here I go again_

 _I'm always running out of line_

 _I think I made up my mind_

 _THIS IS WHO I AM_

 _I AM A MAN MADE ENTITY THAT WAS BORN OUT OF THREE MEN WHO WERE EACH MAN MADE ENTITIES FROM DIFFERENT TIMELINES._

Null smirked as he pushed Tails, almost making him fall into the deadly waters. Tails gasped and stared wide eyed at Null.

"Hey, stop it! I'm taking you to the island where knuckles lives, you need to stop making fun of me and punishing me!" Tails yelled over the roar of the engine.

"Heh, nothing personal, kid." Null laughed, pulling out a shuriken and cutting his arm, only to heal it once again using his chaos emerald powers. Cutting had always been a passion of all three of the trio that now made up null, but now with the power of the chaos emeralds, he could do it as much as he wanted. He liked to see the warm, crimson blood flow down his arm slowly. It made him excited.

"There she is…" Tails said. Up ahead a tropical island with ruins appeared before them. It was tropical and it had a lot of trees on it like palm trees. It looked like a jungle with a lot of palm trees and foliage and grass and stuff. The sand on the beach led into a jungle looking area with palm trees that gave it a tropical look. The tropical island was covered in a jungle of grass, foliage, and palm trees. Overall, much of the grass on the island was green, much of the forest on the island was a jungle, and much of the beach had palm trees on it. The beach on the island had palm trees on it, it led into a green forest that looked like a jungle. The ruins on the island were within the green jungle that came out of the palm tree covered beach. The island wasn't very big, but what sections existed were either a beach with palm trees, or a green jungle with ruins.

"I'm not impressed," Null said, crossing his arms. He jumped out of the plane and flew to the island.

"Hey Null," Tails said, landing his plane on the island, "You can enter a super state if you have all of the emeralds, you know. I saw Sonic do it a few times before!"

"Huh, how do you-" Null was cut off by loud music playing.

 _Here I come, rougher than the rest of them_

 _The best of them, tougher than leather_

 _You can call me Knuckles, unlike Sonic_ _I don't chuckle_

 _I'd rather flex my muscles_

 _I'm hard as nails, it ain't hard to tell_

 _I break 'em down whether they're solid or frail_

 _Unlike the rest I'm independent since my first breath_

 _First test, feel the right, than the worst's left_

 _Born on an island in the heavens_

 _The blood of my ancestors flows inside me_

 _My duty is to save the flower_

 _From evil deterioration_

 _I will be the one to set your heart free, true_

 _Cleanse yourself of them evil spirits that's in you_

 _Streaking lights, loud sounds, and instincts_

 _Are the elements that keep me going_

 _I am fighting my own mission_

 _Nothing's gonna stand in my way_

 _I will be the one to set your heart free, true_

 _Cleanse yourself of them evil spirits that's in you_

 _Won't be frightened, I'll stand up to all the pain and turmoil_

 _Just believe in myself, won't rely on others_

 _Get this power to wipe out the havoc and anarchy_

 _This is my planet, gonna fight for my destiny_

 _Here I come, rougher than the rest of them_

 _The best of them, tougher than leather_

 _You can call me Knuckles, unlike Sonic I don't chuckle_

 _I'd rather flex my muscles_

 _I'm hard as nails, it ain't hard to tell_

 _I break 'em down whether they're solid or frail_

 _Unlike the rest I'm independent since my first breath_

 _First test, feel the right, than the worst's left_

 _I have no such things as weak spots_

 _Don't approve of him but gotta trust him_

 _This alliance has a purpose_

 _This partnership is only temporary_

 _I will be the one to set your heart free, true_

 _Cleanse yourself of evil spirits that got in you_

 _Won't be frightened, I'll stand up to all the pain and turmoil_

 _Just believe in myself, won't rely on others_

 _Freedom will be waiting when serenity is restored_

 _This is my planet, I shall not surrender_

 _Won't be frightened, I'll stand up to all the pain and turmoil_

 _Just believe in myself, won't rely on others_

 _Get this power to wipe out the havoc and anarchy_

 _This is my planet, gonna fight_

 _Won't be frightened, I'll stand up to all the pain and turmoil_

 _Just believe in myself, won't rely on others_

 _Freedom will be waiting when serenity is restored_

 _This is my planet, I shall not surrender_

 _The new porcupine on the block with the buff chest_

 _In the wilderness with the ruggedness_

 _Knock, knock, it's Knuckles, the bloat thrower_

 _Independent flower, Magical Emerald holder_

 _I'll give you the coldest shoulder_

 _My spikes go through boulders, that's why I stay a loner_

 _I was born by myself, I don't need a posse_

 _I get it on by myself, adversaries get shelved_

Yeah, knuckles came out of the forest or jungle or whatever.

"Yo my dudes, what is up guys?" Knuckles the Echidna said.

"Shut up, Echidna. I'm on an important mission for…" Null stopped and froze. His head ached with the pain of mental personality clash. He needed to focus. It was his mission, it was for himself, "for myself."

"Woah there dude just take it easy there man."

"I currently have all seven chaos emeralds and I need to acquire the master emerald."

"Woah ho ho there man, I don't just give that away man. I can't just tell you dudes how to get the master emerald dudes, tell em, Xavier Renegade Angel."

A sentient water bottle appeared beside Knuckles, "I don't care about anything I just want to kill myself!"

Knuckles laughed, "You're immortal, Xavier Renegade Angel!"

The water bottle jumped into the ocean, probably killing a turtle or something with the pollution it caused. Knuckles continued to laugh. This guy was weird. Null had no idea what the hell this loser was doing. He probably went insane on this stupid palm tree covered island.

"You idiot, I need to get the master emerald and you are going to tell me how!"

"Woah man, just take it easy man. I have it right here but you'll need to fight me for it, by the way it nulls all chaos emeralds, dude!"

"Too bad, I already have one that does that!"

"Woah dude you learned that each emerald has its own power wowie that's crazy I didn't think that would happen!"

Null grunted and pulled out his z- saber and shurikens. Knuckles pulled out his knuckles and stood at the ready. Tails covered his eyes, not adjusted to violence. Null charged forward toward Knuckles at a high speed, swinging his z- saber in the process. Knuckles tunneled underground.

Null jumped back and looked around. The Echidna could be anywhere and appear at any time, he had to be ready. He began blasting the ground with his guns, trying to draw him out of the ground. Suddenly, he jumped out of the ground directly underneath Null, punching him upwards and sending him falling down hard on his arm.

"I don't wanna fight ya man! I just wanna get some grub!" Knuckles said as Null flew back.

Null picked up his head and cracked his neck, "Even a child could pull off a move as simple as that, you are less than me and you should worship me."

Null backflipped and tipped his helmet, smirking. He ran toward Knuckles with his shuriken at the ready, throwing it toward Knuckles. At the last minute, the red echidna tunneled underground, Null's shuriken flying past him and hitting a tree. Null grunted and began slashing at the ground with his saber, making sand fly up and creating a dust storm. Null yelled out in frustration as Knuckles appeared once again out of the ground and pushed out with his palm to hit Null.

Null's vision began to blur. He needed to stay focused. This would not be how he went out. He needed more power. The emeralds were deactivated now, but Null knew that the deactivation was merely a trick, anyone could reactivate them if they had the willpower. Null got up onto his feet and swept the sand from his shoulders and glared at Knuckles.

"You haven't bested me, virgin loser. I have the power of a thousand concentration camps," Null smirked, "You can't defeat me, I am immortal."

Knuckles jumped into the ground once more. This time, Null was ready. He jumped up onto a palm tree and pulled out his guns. He then filled the entire beach with his bullets. As the dust cleared, he couldn't see Knuckles anywhere. This bastard was harder than he thought. Hard as nails.

Null pulled out his z buster and began to charge his shot. A ball of light formed at the end, becoming bigger and bigger as time went on. Null began to grunt as the energy began to grow exponentially, pulling it from an unknown source. Null closed his eyes and felt the power of the bolt within himself. As he fired the bolt, he switched the direction so it fired backwards back into his z buster. He grunted as a red aura covered his body and swallowed him whole. He felt everything inside himself burn with power.

Pain shot through his body as the energy filled his entire body. Pain, electricity, and heat. He screamed as he channeled this power into his core. He began to glow and the entire island seemed to grow silent and watch as he began to scream. Knuckles jumped from the ground and stared at Null as he screamed louder and glowed brighter.

Suddenly, the seven emeralds appeared outside of him, shining bright from the power of the blast. Null smirked as he flew off the ground, the emeralds floating around him. They began to spin, first slow, then faster and faster as they flew closer to the man made entity. When they resonated together in front of his heart, a blast of light flew off of them and they disappeared into the dark abyss inside of Null.

Null closed his eyes and screamed as he felt more and more power grow inside of him. This was it. He could finally go super. The entire island shook as a golden light overtook Null. Knuckles and Tails covered their eyes as the power grew more and more.

"So this is what a true emerald wielder looks like…" Knuckles said slightly more normal than his usual demeanor.

Null thought back to his life before in the woods with Charmy and Vector. They were idiots but he loved them. Too bad they were both dead now. The golden aura turned black as he thought of this.

Null thought back to his life before in the space station with Maria and Gerald Robotnik. They were the only people he could trust, even if Gerald was a maniac. Too bad they were both dead now. The golden aura once again turned black for an instant.

Null thought back to his life before in the future in another dimension with X. He was an old friend, but something had changed as time went on. Too bad he was dead now. The golden aura turned black, this time not going back to normal.

Knuckles stared in awe as he saw within the black aura the silhouettes of three separate entities. Slowly they came together and the dark glow faded, leaving Null alone above the trees, a black aura surrounding him.

"I'd love to continue to chat, but I need to end you."

"Heh, man I'd love to."

Knuckles punched his fists together and the distant temple activated, glowing brightly as a green emerald on top began to glow. The master emerald.

"Now you'll see what you were looking for, the master emerald. Most people see it as a way to null the other emeralds' power, but those people are only half right. When the power of the emeralds becomes too much, the master emerald can also be activated in order to power up those who wish to stop the emerald wielder. That, my man, is too bad for you, I will now have no choice but to destroy you once and for all!"

A green aura surrounded Knuckles as a beam of light shot across the island, blowing trees back with its power. The beam hit Knuckles, causing him to float off the ground as he smirked at Null. The green aura engulfed him. His tail grew outwards to an unreasonably long length, spouting needles. His legs grew longer, growing white fur and needles, claws replacing his toes. His arms grew more buff and longer, growing talons out of his hands. He growled as his mouth grew bigger, his teeth becoming misshapen and his eyes bulging out of his head. The spikes on the back of his head grew out as the aura dissipated leaving behind a huge figure where the echidna once stood. It was Knuckles' omega form.

Null smirked and flew at the beast, shooting beams of energy from his z buster, amplified by the power of the emeralds. They were connected straight to his nervous system, giving him immense power. Knuckles swept his claws, beams of light flying out of them. Null dodged them and unleashed a barrage of giant shurikens at the beast, which were swiped at by Knuckles. The shurikens flew off toward the sea, exploding in a giant wave.

The wave travelled toward the island as Null shot toward Knuckles at an incredible speed. Knuckles swiped at the man made entity, but he was too fast. Null dodged every swipe and landed in front of Knuckles, blasting him with an energy beam just as the wave engulfed them. Null stared down as the wave retreated, leaving Knuckles behind looking nearly in perfect health, even under the poisonous water.

The beast jumped off the ground and flew toward Null, swiping and slashing mercilessly at the man made entity. Null dodged the claw slashes and pulled out his z saber, which was very long with the power of the emeralds awakened. He countered each claw slash with a slash of his own saber. The two fell as they finally made contact with each other.

"I am superior to you in every way. You are merely an insect, a parasite!" Null shouted as he threw another hundred shurikens at the beast. Knuckles roared as he swung his huge arm at the shurikens, swinging them around and returning them toward Null. Null sliced them all with his z saber, causing them to explode behind them. He jumped off the ground and flew straight at the hulking beast, shooting him point blank with his buster. Knuckles fell back and transformed back into his regular form, having been bested.

"You truly are worthy of the emerald. Go to the temple and take it. It is yours."

Null grunted, "If only you put up more of a challenge, loser." Tails waved goodbye as Null flew off toward the temple and landed on top of it. There, at the end of the temple, was the emerald. It was finally time to take it. He ran up to the emerald and grabbed onto it, attempting to pull it from its pedestal. The air around null glowed with an unworldly energy and Null was thrown back.

As he opened his eyes, he saw two figures on both sides of him. His vision came into focus and he saw the forms of shadow and Zero. Looking down, he saw himself as Espio. The seven chaos emerald flew from the three, circling around the final emerald, the master emerald.

Espio smirked, looking around. He knew only one would get the emeralds, but who would win? Would Espio come up on top and become the most powerful person on earth? Would Zero win and take his power to the future in another dimension to eradicate the opposition? Or would Shadow take the power and hand it over loyally to the president? Find out on the next episode of Cory in the House: Trials of the Earth.


	38. Battle of the Edgelords

When we last left off, Null had been separated back into Zero, Shadow, and Espio after touching the master emerald. Now they stand side by side, ready to fight for the emeralds. Who will win? I don't even know yet.

"Fools, we were doing fine until we used the emeralds to awaken the true edge," Shadow said, crossing his arms and glaring.

"Heh kid, nothing personal, but I'll be taking those emeralds!" Zero shouted.

Espio ran toward the emeralds as the two argued and reached for them, only to be stopped by a blast from Zero's buster. Espio turned to glare at the others, thinking how he could take them out easily. But really, why did he need the emeralds? To become the most powerful entity in the universe. That was it, the motivation Espio needed.

He pulled out his shurikens and stood at the ready, facing the other two. Adrenaline pumped through his body, getting him ready for action. Zero and Shadow pulled out their weapons as well. This was it, the battle for the emeralds. The battle of the edgelords.

Shadow ran along, shooting bullets at both of them with twin AK-47s. Espio easily dodged them while Zero blocked them with a shield. Jumping out of the way, Espio did a backflip and spun around, throwing 34 shurikens at various locations around them. Zero dodged them easily, but Shadow was hit by a single on.

He reached down and touched his arm, feeling the scratch that now decorated his skin. Moving his fingers away, a drop of blood dripped down from the wound. He clenched his fist and grunted, pulling out his secret katana.

"NO MORE TRICKS, NO MORE GAMES. WE END THIS NOW." Shadow shouted.

Espio smirked and pulled out his shurikens, extending the blades so they looked more like daggers. Zero grunted and pulled out his z saber, its plasma blade scorging with power as it erupted from its holster. Every nerve in Espios body became active. Shadow stood at the ready.

Espio ran along the edge of the temple throwing a barrage of shurikens at the two, which were all easily dodged by both of them. He jumped up and pulled out his dagger shurikens, jumping toward Shadow. Shadow tilted his katana and blocked the attack. Espio brought the other dagger around and slashed at Shadow but he had already seen this happening and pushed the other blade away as he brought his katana around to block the other attack.

Zero jumped toward Espio and slashed at him with his z saber. Espio did a backflip to dodged the attack and Zero fell down to the ground, only to be sliced by Shadow, who was ready. Zero's arm was torn off as sparks flew out of him. Zero smirked and jumped back.

Shadow pulled out another katana to counter the twin blades of Espio, but now Shadow had the advantage. He ran toward Espio at a high speed and slashed at him with the blades. Espio blocked all of his attacks as they slowly backed up. Espio looked behind him briefly to see they were at the edge of the temple. Below them stood a 50 foot wall of pure stone with trees growing over it. Espio had reached his end.

Shadow smirked and brought his blades to each side of him, ready to chop Espio in half. The blades came toward each other as Espio did a backflip off of the temple and threw a shuriken, landing on it and flying back toward the temple. He landed near Zero and dodged a swipe from his saber. The heat from the plasma blade could be felt from the close dodge.

Shadow grunted and ran at Espio once again, slashing the Chameleon relentlessly. Espio blocked each one and jumped up, kicking off of Shadows head. In mid air he turned around and threw shurikens at the hedgehog. Shadow saw this coming and hit all of them out of the air with his katana.

Shadow then ran toward Espio once more, restlessly slashing with his hot metal blades in the summer sun. Espio dodged and jumped to the side, throwing another shuriken at the black hedgehog. Shadow bent over backwards and dodged the shuriken as it flew over him. He smirked, impressed with his own skills, and ran toward Espio with a grimace on his face, swiping his blade at the chameleon. It made contact.

With Zero.

"We cannot allow this man to take the chaos emeralds, Espio. Let me relay my memories to you so you can finally understand," Zero said with a katana through his chest.

Espio shook slightly as hundred of gigabytes of memories flooded into him.

Zero had been searching for the emeralds in order to defeat the evil known as Hitler, but what he didn't realize was that Hitler wasn't the ultimate evil. The cult of Hitler merely wanted a way to defeat the darkness, and thus resurrected a previous host of the darkness. Someone who has felt the darkness within them before would know more about how to defeat them. Zero had realized this as soon as he saw the city of Berlin. Nothing evil was there anymore. The horrors of Hitler's campaign in World War II were not done by Hitler himself, but by the darkness.

Zero realized this too late though, but when he met with the president as Null, he knew that they shared a common enemy. Two sides fighting to destroy the same thing that they believed the other carried. But one thing didn't add up. Why did the prophecy in the Japanese temple show Cory defeating Hitler if was destined to defeat the darkness?

Shadow would give the emeralds to the president, who would then use them to destroy the wrong enemy. This was all going according to the darkness's plan. He would use the two warring nations to destroy each other and then he would strike, effectively giving him complete control over the Earth. Not even Kek could defeat him then.

Shadow could not be allowed to get the emeralds. Zero knew this. Now he would need to work together with Espio, even if it meant letting Espio get the emeralds. A heavenly choir sang from the sky as silence fell over the temple. Espio shouted, but his cries and pleas went unheard from the others. Time seemed to slow as he ran to stop Zero, but he knew he was already too late.

Zero dashed at shadow, he knew what he had to do. He jumped onto the black hedgehogs back and began charging up. The charge went higher and higher until he began to glow red. Heat waves emanated from the robot as he began to explode. Zero looked at Espio and winked. That wink.

Back in Neo Arcadia, in the other dimension, before Zero was on a different side, Espio and Zero walked through the gardens of the capitol building.

"What are your dreams, Shadow?" Zero asked, using Espios old name.

Espio thought hard, "I was made to serve our leader, X."

"So your entire life is connected to the existence of another? What would happen if X were to be killed, would you find another to serve?"

"We are all made for one purpose, and we cannot change who we are."

Zero looked to a tree, seeing caterpillars crawling along a leaf, "Why? Why can we not change our destinies?"

"Well, they are our destinies, you can't change them, it's fate."

One of the caterpillars began hanging upside down and making a chrysalis, "I think we can change our destinies to whatever we want, the only one stopping us is ourself. Sure, you can go down a path and think you are bound to, but what is stopping you from abandoning that path and going another way?"

Espio scoffed, "I am loyal to X."

Five months later, X begins to change, with martial law taking over the city. His mission to protect the humans turns into him enslaving them. With little rights, they cannot be hurt, and cannot hurt themselves. Zero abandoned Neo Arcadia, finding an old bunker to enter sleep mode for many years. Those many years pass and a neo arcadia resistance force finds the slumbering Zero and takes him in as one of their own. His body had changed while sleeping, and he was barely recognizable.

Zero conquered the henchmen of X, finally coming face to face with Espio. The time had come where they had to fight.

"You know, Shadow, we are one in the same. We both aspired to help X with his paradise, we both had unwavering commitment to the cause. The only difference between us is the fact that one of us is blind to how that cause has changed. You can be loyal, loyalty is good, but when the thing you are loyal to changes, well that's how you differentiate loyalty and slavery."

"Enough talk, traitor. Allow me to show you why a lost legend should remain lost."

The two fought, with Zero coming out on top. Espio screamed with fury and charged at Zero, attempting to suicide bomb them both into the afterlife. Zero escaped and left behind an Espio who was thought to be dead. Was Espio just a pawn in X's big game of chess to enslave the world? Everything seemed clearer now. He could shape his own destiny, and he could become whatever he wanted…

Back in the present, Zero winked as he suicide bombed himself, taking Shadow with him. The top of the temple crumbled, destroying half the top and obscuring Espio's view of the carnage. He closed his eyes, thinking back to his rivalry with Zero. He finally understood his point of view, but it was too late now.

"Ah, he's better off dead..." Espio said as he looked down to the bricks he stood on. Drops of water fell at his feet, staining the grey bricks dark wherever they landed. Espio began to cry.

He sniffed and looked up. Before him was the master emerald. Was his quest finally finished? He grabbed the large emerald and reached for it. Suddenly, the seven emeralds appeared around it and began to spin. A golden light fell upon the precious stone and Espio had to look away as it was blinding. As the light died away, Espio saw the emeralds had fused into a single golden emerald. The ultimate emerald.

Espio grabbed the stone and began to walk away from the temple, finding Tails waiting for him. He began thinking back to what Zero had said all those years ago. He looked at a tree and caught sight of a butterfly exiting it's chrysalis. Maybe people could change. Maybe destiny wasn't in complete control of anyone. Who was Espio? Who would Espio become? Where did his loyalties lie? Were they loyalties or slavery? Only time would tell.


	39. Guantanamo Bay

Newt was alone. He ran across the peninsula of Florida, which was now desolate and empty. With his arms behind his back and by focusing his chakra into his feet, he was able to run over 100 miles per hour. He ran through an old market, long abandoned by the people of Florida and went straight for the pier. As he reached the end he stopped.

Looking down upon the toxic water, fear fell over young Newt. He needed to get to Guantanamo bay in order to rescue. Newt needed to be brave. K-pop music begins to play as he jumps upon the water, pushing his chakra to his feet so he could walk on it. He begins to run atop the water, waves forming behind him. A mist trail begins to follow him, forming rainbows in the air.

Hours later, the boy arrived in guantanamo bay, jumping straight over the barbed wire walls using his super ninja jump. Newt drew his sword and began slashing at the guards, cutting them down one by one.

"Espia! Help! A ninja has arrived! HEL-" A guard shouted at the top of his lungs just before being cut in half by the sword of Newt. Newt looked around, realising all the guards were taken care of.

"Senior, I am going to have to ask you to leave my prison," A man with a business suit approached Newt with a calm demeanor, gesturing toward the gate.

Newt brought his sword up, "I cannot do that, I am on a mission for Japan."

"It would appear we have a conflict of interest, mi hermano, I am warning you, you must leave before it is too late."

"I will not."

"Hm, very well. Allow me, Espia, to show you the way out, then."

He ran toward Newt at a blinding speed, his tie flying over his shoulder. He slid to a halt a few feet away from Newt, causing a wave of dirt to fly toward the boy, razor sharp rocks could be seen within the sand. Newt dodged to the side and ran toward Espia with his sword drawn. He swung it in a circle around him as he ran, causing a tornado of a sword blade to form around him. As he struck Espia, the man dissipated into sand, falling to the earth. Newt stared at the ground dumbfounded, how could someone have this much power?

The man tapped Newt on his shoulder, and the boy whipped his head around, jumping back as he saw Espia was right behind him. Sand formed around the man's fist, forming a razor sharp spike on his sand glove. His hand moved at an incredible speed, jabbing at Newt many times per second. Newt barely dodged the jabs, getting hit by one in the shoulder. A stain of crimson appeared on his white clothes. This was an incredible opponent.

Naruto's voice appeared in Newt's head, "His chakra is what connects him to the Earth. The earth IS his chakra."

How could Newt use this information? All he had was a sword and basic chakra control techniques. What could he do against this opponent? Cheating might be his only option.

'Naruto, please help me.' Newt thought. Naruto went elsewhere after teaching Newt the basics of being a ninja, but he might be able to help. Newt didn't even know if the ninja master could hear him.

"Nobody can save you now!" Espia said as he raised his arms, erecting a large dome of sand around the two. Newt starred in awe as the sand solidified into a material stronger than metal. He was trapped.

Espia lunged at him again, this time reaching into the ground and pulling a sword made of solidified sand. He brought the sword up and swiped at Newt. Newt brought his own sword up to meet the sand sword, but the sword decondensed at the point of impact and passed right through Newt's sword, condensing once again right in front of Newt's face. With almost perfect timing, Newt barely dodged the sword and did a roll around Espia, swinging his sword at the man. Each swing was expertly dodged by the man as he dropped his sword, which turned to uncondensed sand, and put his hands in his pockets. Newt backed off, holding his sword at the ready.

Espia laughed and reached his hands into the ground, pulling out twin daggers and charging at Newt. He began to swing the daggers at Newt aggressively. Newt dodged backwards until he hit the wall of the dome. He was cornered. Espia smirked, having won the battle.

Suddenly, Newt thought of an idea, and he jumped onto the dome wall, running up it with the power of his chakra flowing through his feet. Espia merely walked toward the wall, stairs made of sand appearing before him as he began to walk up toward Newt. The boy began to feel lightheaded as he was nearly entirely upside down.

Espia reached the point where Newt was, nearly 30 feet off the ground. He brought his daggers up and swiped at Newt. At nearly a point blank range, there was no way Espia could miss, and Newt couldn't dodge the attack in time. The dagger made contact with Newt, but instantly turned into dust as it hit him.

"WHAT?" Espia shouted as his sand stairs began to follow suit, each turning to dust. Espia jumped to the sand wall and used chakra to hold onto the dome with his hands. He moved toward Newt, swinging his feet at the boy with devastating kicks. Newt dodged and swung his sword at Epsia. Desperate, Espia used the sand from the dome to cover the spots Newt struck, each time the sand fell down as soon as the sword made contact. The dome began to waver, and soon it collapsed, sending both of them falling down.

Newt brought his sword down ready to strike Espia as he landed. Espia landed and instantly tried to cover himself with protective sand, but he was too late. Newt's sword struck him straight in the heart, just before the sand could cover him.

"You were a worthy adversary, young ninja. Go take your prize, but p-please don't d-do anything irrational."

"In another world, we would have been on the same side," Newt said.

"Yes, but in this one, w-we are doomed t-to *wheeze* f-fight… mi hermano..." Espia said slowly as he took his last breath, turning to sand.

The sand from the dome floated down around Newt as he pulled his sword out of the ground and putting it back in his sheath. It was finished. Newt opened the prison doors, exposing many criminals to the outside world. Osama Bin Laden walked out of the prison and into the outside world. Newt needed to find Tim and his grandmother.

He searched the entire prison until he found a middle aged man with glasses. His cell walls were covered in depictions of Cory dead.

"Are you Tim?" Newt asked.

"What's it to ya?" Tim answered in a Boston accent.

"Wait why do you have that accent if you're from Iowa?"

"Prison changes ya, I don even know mah address anymo."

"I need your help accessing the Japanese tomb below your house and bringing my sword to full power."

"Fine, if ya let me out all show ya."

"Sure, wait where is your grandmother?"

"Da leader Castro took her as his wife! Dat basta-"

"Ok whatever. Do you know a way to get back?"

"Ya man, jus take da teleporter to Iowa in da back room."

The two went into the back room and found the Iowan teleporter. They flipped the switch and screamed as their bodies were ripped apart molecule by molecule and reassembled in Iowa. The two ran into the house, surprised to see Thoth was missing, and ran down the stairs into the basement. A large door with japanese symbols was there.

"You must go in alone. I cannot follow," Tim said as he opened the door.

"How are you talking normal now?"

"Oh um, ya mus go in alone. I can't folla."

Newt shrugged and walked past the door into darkness.

Within the door was a large hallway leading to a stage with a coffin on it. Along the sides were stone samurai with their swords raised above the walkway. Newt walked along through the hallway and up the steps to the burial chamber. As he approached the coffin, his hands began to bleed from the holes in them. The blood fell upon the coffin, sending the room seemingly back in time. The walls turned bright as if they were just painted, and the coffin faded away, replaced with a throne. The stone samurai came to life, and held their swords at the ready. Newt would need to prove himself to the Japanese emperor.

He took out his sword and screamed as he ran through the crowd of samurai, slashing each one the them down easily. One of them ran away in surrender, and committed seppuku. Newt stared down at the carnage and watched as they turned back to stone statues. Holding their swords at the ready. Newt walked along the aisle and went up to the throne. He needed to sit in it.

As he sat down, his hands and forehead glowed with golden triangles. The three pieces of the triforce were within him. His sword slowly transformed into a golden katana. He raised his sword and a thunderbolt struck it.

"You are my legacy, Newt. Take these and show the world who you are," the emperor's voice said to him.

Newt nodded and put his katana onto his back. His clothes had transformed into robes sporting japanese symbols. He walked along the aisle, past the statues. He was the next Japanese emperor. He must continue the legacy of Japan.


	40. Neo Aztec

Montezuma Caesar sat on his bed within the great temple of Tenochtitlan. He ran his hands over his obsidian blade, feeling the cold black glass move over his skin. The fireplace within the room painted shadows across the brown bricks, illuminating the man's face. He had come far since his father had taken over, and tomorrow he would expand his territory once more: by taking over Texas and restoring the Aztecs to their former glory.

He adjusted his toga as he stood up, grabbing his crown of leaves and walking toward his door. The guards moved to the side and bowed as he walked past them, his advisor Brutus walked up to the emperor.

"Sir, he's here. He's waiting within the garden," Brutus stated.

"Hmm, I'll head there now, thank you Brutus," Brutus bowed as Caesar walked toward the garden. On his way he passed a large portrait of a man. This man was Titan Caesar, the current king's father. He was born in 1960 in a small town within Texas.

Titan woke up one day and walked to his study, picking up his latest book and beginning to read it. He was a historian who was obsessed with the Aztec empire. Every book he owned was one about the Aztecs and their empire. A young boy walked in and sat down on a chair.

"Hello Montezuma, how are you doing today?" Titan asked, not looking up from his book.

"I'm tired," the boy simply said.

Titan nodded and wrote down some notes.

"Father, why do you need to research so much?"

Titan looked up and set the book down, "Do you want me to tell you a secret?"

Montezuma nodded and leaned forward, his father spoke, "I'm on the verge of discovering what made the Aztecs so great. Soon we're going to move down to Mexico to be the new leaders! Someday you'll be a great king, just like the real Montezuma," he pointed to a picture of the king on his wall.

Montezuma stared at the picture in awe, picturing himself as a king one day, "I want to be just like him!" He looked confused for a second, "but I think I want different clothes…"

Titan laughed and went back to his research.

In present times, Montezuma smiled and continued to walk toward the garden. He suddenly stopped and walked back toward a corridor lined with guards. He entered the door at the end to a fully furnished room fit for a queen. In the corner of the room sat a bored looking Sophia, the daughter of the president.

"How are you doing?" Montezuma asked.

"I'm a prisoner of war, how do you think I'm doing?"

The emperor shrugged, "I've tried to make it the best it could be here, we asked for an alliance between the Neo Aztecs and the United States, but they just called us savages. I'm sorry you got caught up in this mess, they weren't supposed to even kidnap you, it was supposed to be the president."

Sophia glared at him, "my father will send a special squad of elite officials after you, there's no escape!"

Caesar nodded, "I know, but I believe what I'm doing is right. The United States has become corrupted, their ways of democracy are dead. The president has served 17 terms, that is corruption in it's finest. The American people aren't free. I am only wishing to help."

Sophia spit at her captor. Montezuma looked down and left the room. He was brought back to his first day moving to Mexico.

A young Montezuma looked back at his school as he walked away, "why can't we stay here? Why do I have to leave all my friends behind?"

Titan looked down at him, "our destiny is not here, we need to go to Mexico in order to make a better future."

"But I'll be all alone there…"

Titan stopped and kneeled down to his level, "Montezuma, we are the only people on Earth who know how to save the people in Mexico. We could be heroes, not just me, us together. I know times will get hard and you might feel sad, but do not let these feelings get to you. I know what we are doing is right, please just listen to me… trust me…"

Three years later, a 15 year old Montezuma is bound to a chair within the headquarters of a cartel. Around him stand guards holding guns. A door opens and a large man wearing a suit walks in.

"Ah, so this is the fabled 'Caesar' I'm hearing about? The heir of the ancient Aztecs? Haha, I cannot believe that! This is a wimpy teenage boy, a worthless individual!" The boss walked closer to Montezuma, "you thought you could reform the Aztecs, make Mexico into anything but a playground for us? Haha, you are out of your league, kid."

Montezuma remained calm and stared at the man.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation, kid. You are going to die today. I just want to know, why did you think you would succeed? You can't beat us. We are invincible!"

Montezuma smirked as one of the guards fell down to the ground, dead.

"What?!" The boss shouted as he ran up and pulled an arrow out of the dead man. The tip was black and shiny, made of obsidian. Another guard suddenly fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of the back of his head.

The guards began shooting randomly out of fear, the darkness around them seemed to close in. Two more guards fall to the ground, leaving only one who falls to the ground and covers his head. Montezuma raises his hand as arrows pierce the two ropes tying him the the chair, he raises his hand and catches a large obsidian blade and begins walking toward the boss.

The boss pulls out a pistol and takes a shot at Montezuma, the boy turns his blade sideways, blocking the projectile.

"How? How does your blade deflect even bullets?"

"It is made of a combination of both obsidian and many metals, making it the strongest blade on Earth."

A look of fear passes over the boss as he begins to back away. With one clean slash, Montezuma cuts the man's gun in half, leaving him defenseless.

"The Aztecs will make Mexico free!" Montezuma shouted as he stabbed the man in the chest. Two archers walked out of the shadows along with Titan Caesar.

"You did good, son. Without a leader, the cartel will crumble," Titan said.

Montezuma nodded and looked over to the one guard left, he helped the man to his feet, "what's your name?"

"Brutus…"

Back in the present, Montezuma gave a small smile. He walked out into the garden to meet the person who had come to help him and his empire. A large individual with the head of a bird stood before him.

"Thoth?" Montezuma asked.

Thoth nodded, hiding the darkness that had corrupted him, "have you prepared for the sacrifice?"

Caesar nodded, "Cory should be here soon, our spies have dug up a lot about him, he's an agent of the president and possesses some sort of magical charm that connects him to kek."

Thoth nodded, "he needs to be sacrificed, otherwise the reptilians will be able to cross over more freely due to him killing one."

Caesar nodded, "and you're sure that's true? I don't wish to sacrifice anyone, even if it is an American agent."

Thoth nodded, "you doubt my wisdom?"

"No of course not, I just need to be certain."

"I am the god of wisdom, I cannot be wrong."

"I understand that, now I have business to attend to, so please make yourself at home."

Montezuma walked away from the man, going back into his chambers. There had only been one sacrifice in the history of the Neo Aztec empire. Montezuma cringed as he thought back to it.

It was a dark day atop the large pyramid, Montezuma pulled out the large knife used for sacrifices. Before him laid a man wearing a mask, donning a rebel faction symbol. This man had captured Titan, and presumably killed him. A crime like that could not go unpunished. Titan was the entire reason this empire existed.

"For your crimes against this empire, I must put you to death. It is against our customs to do this, but you leave me no choice. For killing our leader, and my father, you must die."

He brought the black blade to the man's chest and pushed down, a determined look on his face. The man began to speak.

"It is your turn now, you must… lead…"

A look of fear passed over Montezuma's face as he reached for the man's mask. He pulled it off to reveal the man to be Titan, his own father.

"Father," Montezuma cried, "why?"

Titan said with final breath, "you must know… loss… in order to lead…"

"Father no!" Montezuma cried as the guards pulled him back away from the dead king.

In present day, an older Caesar still thought back to that day, crying every time it was brought up. Loss was the worst feeling in existence. Montezuma needed to create a perfect world with no loss. It might be impossible, but he would die trying.

Montezuma walked out onto a balcony overlooking his city. Children played, the elderly were all accompanied by someone. Peace flourished. This needed to be the entire world, there was no excuse, he needed to succeed.

Montezuma thought to the future, how death would soon engulf the Alamo. Atop the balcony, looking out into the city of peace, the emperor wept.


	41. The Alamo Part I

Cory's bus landed in a field in Texas next to Tail's plane. Cory started freaking out and jumped out of the bus, running toward the plane. He tripped and fell as soon as he reached it.

"Y-you're the real Tails!" Cory shouted, meeting one of his three true heroes.

Tails looked down at him, "um yes, who are you?"

"Um um um, I'm Cory-cory-cory in the house…" he said shyly.

"Shut up, you half brained mongolian," Espio said, annoyed.

Cory nearly faded, "Espio? You're alive? Where have you been."

"I ditched those losers who had combined with me and now I'm basically a god," he said, pulling out the golden emerald.

"Where did the other emeralds go?"

Espio rolled his eyes and put it away, "don't talk to me."

Cory shrugged as Alex Jones walked up, "I suspect these people are in with the reptilian uprising, I can sense it within them."

"You managed to find someone dumber than you, Cory, congrats," Espio sneered.

"Hey, Alex is brilliant. He helped me save Floria from a demonic invasion."

Espio rolled his eyes, "was there any proof that demons were even there?"

Cory thought back to his encounters. Alex had said his sword wouldn't have worked on the vampires, but he had never tried it. Cory reached into Alex's coat and pulled out the device he had used before on the vampire in the tunnel. He pressed the button at a nearby cow and watched as the device made ghostly noises and the cow slowly melted into the ground.

"Now, I know this looks bad, but at least I have some weapons!" Alex said nervously.

Cory's glare turned into a smile, "he's right, even if demons don't exist he still has weapons.

"Cory you idiot, you went to hell once of course they exist, this man is just a phony. Reptilians don't exist either, he's just making it all up," Espio said, glaring.

"It's ok, we still have Espio with us."

Espio raised an eyebrow as Cory led them to the bus, "I named the on board computer after you."

"Well you're going to need to rename it because we can't have two Espio's you worthless brat."

Cory sighed, "Espio, it looks like I'm going to need to rename you."

"Very well, master Cory, might I suggest you name me 'battle bus' because we about to partake in war?"

"Yes, that's your name it's good thanks."

Espio rolled his eyes, "where's that loser without any powers?"

"Oh you mean Newt? I don't know…"

Just as Cory said that, a man jumped on top of the battle bus. He was wearing the uniform of a Japanese ninja master, along with a pointed white hat. On his back was a golden katana that shone in the Texas light. He tossed aside his hat and revealed his long golden hair, it blew in the wind away from him as he jumped down, landing in front of the group. It was Newt, the new master of Japan.

"There he is," Cory said in a strange way.

Newt smiled at him, "Cory, man. We are finally reunited after so many months!"

Espio rolled his eyes, "It has only been a few days you weeaboo loser."

Cory stared in awe at his katana. It didn't glow like his own did, but it seemed to be extremely powerful. Of course it wasn't nearly as overpowered as Cory's, but it is powerful. Cory nodded at Newt, and turned around to look at the nearby town. This was it, the location of the Alamo.

"What's our plan, bros?" Alex asked, acting cool with his raspy voice.

"Hmm," Cory said annoyingly, thinking, "How many will there be?"

Espio rolled his eyes, "They're right there, you absolute retard."

Cory looked past the city into the fields to see a vast army marching in line toward the alamo. Behind the front line rolled catapults and other primitive military weaponry. The front line carried long obsidian spears. Cory nearly passed out as a wave of fear passed over him.

"T-those are the- the n-neo Aztecs?"

Espio smirked, "What did you expect, loser? They're the entire army of Central America."

"I think we can take them, I mean, I have this," Alex said, pulling out a radiation gun.

Newt backed away, "Hey man, is that even safe?" Alex shrugged.

"Ok, we ride the loser bus over the city, and drop down into the back of the army to take them by surprise. I'm assuming the bus has a cloaking feature?" Espio deduced.

"Indeed, I do. That would be the best course of action to take out the army, by my calculations," the battle bus said.

"This bus is the only competent thing I've ever met," Espio said.

Tails rolled his eyes, "While you guys were talking, I was able to rig the battle bus with weapons and other cool features from my plane. It should really live up to its battle bus name now."

Everyone turned to look at the bus. It was now a blue school bus with a hot air balloon on top of it. It had become the battle bus it was meant to be. Everyone loaded into the bus and it took off, flying over the Alamo. Suddenly, a monitor above turned to static. The signal adjusted and the president's face appeared.

"Ah, Cory. I see you've all regrouped and are now on your way to battle. Your mission is clear, I'm guessing. You need to first defend the Alamo from the Neo Aztec army, then you must move onward to the capital Tenochtitlan and take out their leader, Caesar. Then you'll need to rescue my daughter, but remember don't touch her."

Cory nodded, "I'm afraid of her."

The president rolled his eyes, "nobody cares, just do as I say. You'll need to use all you have learned from your adventures to win this battle. Also I won't be able to send the military to help because the Alamo means nothing to the whole of the United States. Goodbye." With that, the president faded away into static.

Cory nodded confidently and pulled out his katana, holding it up, "Who's with me?"

Newt pulled out his own katana and held it up next to Cory, "I am!"

Espio rolled his eyes, "I'm not doing this, you cucks."

Tails was too busy talking to the battle bus and Alex was standing next to the restroom, listening, "I think something is in there, probably an alien probe sent to lay eggs in our kidneys…"

Suddenly, a loud flush could be heard and out stepped Chris wearing a kimono. He had been hiding out in that room ever since they had left from DC. Around his neck was his medallion that allowed him to change into his hedgehog form.

"Chris? You're here to help us?" Cory asked.

"Yes, and you'll be happy to hear that I am fully rejuvenated and at the top of my game!" He shouted.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to go now!" Cory said as he walked toward the door. As it opened, the wind blew his hair behind him. He looked out into the vast armies below them. Cory swallowed his fear and jumped.


	42. The Alamo Part II

The wind flowed smoothly around Cory as he fell through the air down toward the army below. He focused on the energy around him and closed his eyes. His bandana, his heart, and his katana formed a triangle, a trinity. He was one with the power of kek and his katana. They were part of him. His eyes glowed golden as he landed, leaving an impact crater around him and causing many soldiers to fly backward.

As the dust cleared, Cory stepped from the crater in his seppuku form, a golden aura surrounding him. He held up his katana above his head, which extended into a shining blade. Behind him, Newt landed gracefully and held his katana at the ready, followed by Espio and Alex, who each held up their weapons. The battle was about to begin.

Cory ran through the ranks of the army, blocking and countering attacks. He sliced through a soldier as they started to close in on him. Cory was better than them though. He did a spin move with his blade and cut through all the soldiers around him. Obsidian tipped arrows flew toward him, and he swung his sword in an arc above his head, sending the arrows flying miles into the air above him.

Newt held his katana at the ready, fighting off any soldiers that came his way. As they began to close in, Newt jumped atop one of them and gracefully slashed at all the soldiers around him, killing them all. A spear flew his way and hit him square in the chest, but that was merely a substitution, the real Newt appeared and grabbed the spear, returning it to its sender.

Espio jumped from head to head of the soldiers, digging his cleats into their heads and throwing kunais and shurikens at the soldiers around him. Meanwhile, Alex used his radiation gun to turn crowds of people into dust, some screaming as the radiation rotted their brains.

Suddenly, waves of soldiers flew into the air, powerless as they were catapulted by a yellow blur. Chris ran through the soldiers as sonichu, throwing soldiers up with his momentum. Up in the air, Tails fired lasers down into the soldiers from the battle bus.

Once the initial shock of the attack wore off, the soldiers began to regroup and attack more strategically, knowing they were now defending their homeland. The archers shot arrows at Cory from two directions, Causing a few to hit him and lodge themselves into his arms. Cory fell down to the ground in pain as blood flowed down his arm. Soldiers ran up to him and tried to finish him, but were shot by Alex and his radiation gun, which luckily missed Cory.

Newt struggled as spears began flying toward him from all directions. He slashed at them, only one grazing his shoulder. He grunted and ran at the spearman with his arms behind his back, only to be hit from the side from a man on a horse. Newt flew backwards, stopped by Espio.

"Thanks, man," Newt said.

"Just shut up and try harder," Espio said as he jumped away, throwing kunais down on the enemies.

Newt nodded and went back to battle.

The catapults began targeting the battle bus. Tails and the battle bus attempted to maneuver around the rocks catapulted into the sky, but weren't successful. One made contact, causing the engines to begin to smoke. Tails had no choice but to retreat, leaving for a nearby field for repairs.

Cory watched as the bus went away, leaving them alone down on the battlefield. Cory began to lose hope, could they ever win this battle?

As if to answer his question, time began to freeze and the ghost of Michael Jackson floated out from the ground.

"You can do it Cory, I believe in you."

"But what if I'm not strong enough?" Cory said to the ghost.

"Your power comes from your heart, Cory. Your headband and katana are just extensions to your power. Use your heart and you'll reach a new level."

Cory focused on his heart and his aura began to change. Out of his back came a glowing aura, turning into wings. Cory floated off the ground, his eyes closed. Arrows seemed to bend at his will as the golden aura turned into a rainbow aura. He opened his eyes as a strong wind blew across the battlefield. Cory had entered a new state. His massive legend form.

Cory's wings flapped as he flew across the battlefield with his massive sword, slashing down any and all soldiers that came his way.

"Oh, we're going into our overpowered forms now?" Espio said sarcastically, pulling out his ultimate emerald. His entire body turned pure white and his eyes glowed golden. This was ultimate Espio form. Kunais appeared out of thin air around him and began targeting the soldiers.

Knuckles appeared on the battlefield behind Espio in his omega form. The huge beast roared and swiped at rows of soldiers with its massive claws.

"I see you've perfected the emerald," Knuckles said.

"Hm. I thought you used the master emerald to power up that form?" Espio asked.

"I do, but there are more master emeralds in the universe. The form just gets weaker the further away from the emerald I am," he said, pointing down to his size, which was smaller than when he had used the emerald at the temple.

Newt looked up at a blue crane flying over the battlefield and remembered the one that had opened the gate to the Japanese vault. He fought bravely onward, even without an overpowered form.

The group fought onward until they reached the border. Behind them sat the few remaining soldiers from the Neo Aztec army, cowering in fear from the awesome power shown to them on this day. Everyone reverted to their normal forms. Cory turned around and held his katana above him.

"I must go in alone. I am the only one who can defeat Caesar. You guys are going to have to stay behind and protect the border for now."

"No way, man. I'm coming with you!" Newt shouted as he jumped over the border.

Instantly a forcefield blocked access to the border and a massive figure appeared from the heavens, falling before them. Newt narrowed his eyes.

"Thoth. So you're working with the Neo Aztecs?" Newt said.

"Ah, of course I am. I was hired to defend the border in case of a breech."

"Um, who is this guy?" Cory asked.

"He's Thoth, the egyptian god of wisdom and knowledge, but he's possessed by the darkness."

"THE DARKNESS?" Cory shouted with fear.

"Haha, it's not as bad as you think, Cory Baxter. Maybe we'll see eye to eye someday, if only you survived until that day!"

He drew his khopesh which turned into the black distorted mess that the darkness is known for. He slashed downward between Cory and Newt, who jumped opposite ways. The blade seemed to create a wall of darkness.

"Cory, you need to go on to the city, I'll take out this guy!" Newt shouted at the fat boy.

Cory nodded and began to run away. Thoth threw an egyptian style spear at him, which homed in on the boy. Cory turned around and cut the spear in half with his katana, running off with his arms behind his back toward the massive pyramid in the distance.

Newt drew his katana. A wind flowed through the field, blowing up dust. He stood before the massive Thoth who wielded a blade of darkness as Cory ran toward a town far different from anything he had ever seen.


	43. The Alamo Part III

"Your move, mortal," Thoth taunted as he held up his blade, which sizzled with dark energy. Across from him stood Newt, a tiny boy wearing Japanese robes holding a golden katana.

Newt closed his eyes and began to breathe, focusing. He looked down the length of his katana, watching the sun glow off of it. Newt made eye contact with the glowing entity. He was about to fight a god.

"Fist bump" from sonic forces begins to play.

 _I can't do this alone._

Newt holds his katana at the ready, running at Thoth. An image of Naruto cheering him on flashes before his eyes.

 _Even though I am strong._

Newt jumps up over Thoth's khopesh as he swings his katana. He slashes down on the god, but misses as Thoth moves away.

 _Need something more than me._

Newt dodges the gods slashes as he gets more ruthless, as if he was trying to kill a bug.

 _Something to push me to victory._

Newt does a roll behind Thoth, creating a substitute behind him. He strikes Thoth just as the god hits the substitute.

 _Let's see what we can do._

Thoth stumbles back and gets noticeably angry. An aura appears around Newt. Naruto had given Newt his power.

 _Together me and you._

Newt runs up to the god, dodging the spears thrown at him, and slides under the god, slashing at his legs with the katana.

 _Can't be afraid to try._

He jumps out of the slide and turns around, slicing at the god's back.

 _KISS YOUR FEARS GOODBYE._

Newt dodges the god's blade.

 _NO LOOKING BACK._

Thoth screams in frustration.

 _YOU AND I ARE ON THE ATTACK._

Newt jumps over Thoth's blade.

 _FULL SPEED AHEAD._

He slashes at the god's head as he jumps over.

 _HEADING FOR THE SUNSET._

Thoth roars as his head falls off, revealing a face below.

 _SUCH A DIFFERENT FEELING._

Newt gasps in shock.

 _BOTH OF US BELIEVING._

Thoth covers his face, dropping his khopesh.

 _WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER._

Newt nods, determined.

 _TOGETHER WE CAN SHOW THE WORLD WHAT WE CAN DO!_

Newt charges the god with his katana at the ready.

 _YOU ARE NEXT TO ME AND I'M NEXT TO YOU!_

Thoth gasps and teleports out of the way.

 _PUSH ME ON THROUGH UNTIL THE BATTLE'S WOOOOOOOOOOOOON!_

Newt spins around and uses his momentum to jump forward in mid air, pointing his sword at the god' arm.

NO ONE'S GONNA GIVE A THING TO US!

Thoth's arm falls off, revealing a normal one below.

 _INTO EACH OTHER WE PUT OUR TRUST!_

Newt turns around and slashes off the other arm.

 _STANDING UNITED AFTER THE FIGHT!_

Thoth backs away, falling over in the process.

 _All alone, you will never be._

Newt approaches the man as the rest of the armor falls off.

 _The two of us are holding the key._

The man before him is covering his face, only his chestplate remaining.

 _We see today, a world we couldn't see._

Newt raises his sword and aims it downward, at the heart.

 _Before I say goodbye to you…_

Newt puts his sword down and a light shines across the field, the chestplate flying off toward the other armor.

 _One more last fist bump…_

The music fades as Newt looks down upon the man who was wearing Thoth's armor. It was Mack himself, the man who was growing weed in the Iowa house and Tim's uncle. His handlebar moustache flowing in the wind.

"Explain yourself!" Newt shouted, pointing his katana at the man.

"I-I can explain! I found this text thingy below my house that shows me how to become an egyptian god! Just take it please, don't hurt me!"

"Hm, so the armor must be infected by the darkness," Newt thought out loud, grabbing the paper from Mack.

"Correct!" A dark voice rang across the valley as a khopesh pierced Mack, killing him instantly.

Before Newt stood the darkness incarnated within the possessed armor. The armor fell away and out came a being of pure darkness. It was the darkness. He took the form of Newt and drew his katana, matching Newt perfectly.

Darkness ran at Newt, slashing his dark blade at the boy. Newt dodged and countered with his golden sword, making contact with the entity, but it was only a substitution! Newt did a backflip on the fly as Darkness ran up behind him, slashing forward. Newt jumped backwards as they began to duel, dodging and slashing expertly, mirroring each other in opposite ways perfectly.

"You can't defeat me, I am a god!" Darkness shouted.

"Cory defeated you! I know I'll be able to!"

"Cory is more than a god! He's a main protagonist!"

"Maybe of your story, but mine goes a bit different!"

Newt stabbed forward, leaving himself open to a blow, but made contact with the dark entity. Every success must be earned through sacrifice.

"H-how?" Darkness said as he began to fade away.

"You didn't expect me to leave myself open for you to stab me, you were too focused on me blocking your attacks. Always expect the unexpected."

"I-I'm not dead… I-I'll…. End all of you…" With that, darkness faded away into dust, leaving nothing behind.

The forcefield covering the border disappeared, and the rest of the group walked up to them. Newt inspected the note he had received from mack.

"Hm, it looks like nearly all of the egyptian gods were just mech suit armors used by priests and stuff…" Newt said, reading over the papers.

"You know, ancient Egypt was a pretty woke place when it came to aliens and reptilians, maybe you need to be woke in order to use the suits?" Alex deduced. Newt sighed and handed Alex the paper. Alex read it over and pulled out a knife, cutting open his thumb. He then smeared the blood into the shapes of hieroglyphics across his arms and head. He then held up his arms.

The Thoth armor floated to him like a magnet, attaching itself to all of Alex's limbs. It seemed to morph around his figure, fitting him perfectly. Soon Alex had become the egyptian god of wisdom, Thoth.

"I see now that I have been wrong this entire time. There is no fourth dimension and there are no reptilians. On the other hand, I can confirm the existence of aliens on the moon," he looked up at the sky.

"Ugh you're even more annoying now, lets just go and help the fat loser," Espio said, rolling his eyes.

Meanwhile in Tenochtitlan, Cory ran through the streets, heading for the pyramid. Around him, kids played, people walked to work, and others maintained their homes. The people of Tenochtitlan seemed to live in peace, despite living underneath something other than the US government. That made no sense at all to Cory.

Nobody attacked him or tried to stop him as he headed to the pyramid in the distance. In fact, he was welcomed to the city when he arrived. Cory was very confused at this, since even in DC they didn't allow outsiders to enter without signing the communist agreement.

As Cory neared the pyramid, the guards moved out of his way, as if they were expecting him. He was let though the gate of the pyramid by two guards holding obsidian spears. He had never seen anything like the obsidian on the spears and was intrigued by the guards weapon.

This was short lived as he got distracted by the great hall that was before him. Lined with torches on brick walls, the hall seemed to go on for miles, with red carpeting as a floor. Cory walker along, seeing nobody else in the hallway. He neared the end, where a fork in the road appeared. On the wall sat a painting of the original leader of the Neo Aztecs, Titan.

Cory looked up at the painting as a figure walked up behind him.

"Great painting, isn't it?" Montezuma Caesar said as he approached Cory.

"Wh-who are you?" Cory asked nervously.

"That's the question, isn't it? I'm the leader of the neo aztecs, Montezuma. I'm assuming you're cory?"

Cory drew his katana, "My mission is to kill you."

Montezuma remained unphased, "I'm here to give you a proposition. You're strong. We could use someone like you to free America."

"America is already free!'

"hm. You see the President enacting laws to limit the powers of the people in DC? He made it illegal to be out past 10pm. He is abusing his power. He's been in charge far too long!"

"Everything he's done has been good for us!"

"how can you say that? Are you blind? I'll even let that girl go if you help me. We are the good guys, Cory."

"You're against the President, so you're against me."

Suddenly, a figure approached with her head down, laughing.

"Your dreams of a free nation are about to end," she said, laughing.

"Sophie! I'm here to rescue you!" Cory yelled.

"I don't need rescuing. This is my kingdom now."

"What? I'm the emperor though, you're only a prisoner," said Montezuma.

Sophie looked up, revealing her skin chipping and falling to the ground, "you still don't get it, do you? You're merely a pawn in my game of world conquest. I've been using you!"

Montezuma's eyes went wide as he suddenly remembered his mother. His father had told Montezuma that she had died in childbirth, but she knew he would one day be king of the Aztecs. The woman Montezuma had seen in photos looked exactly like Sophie, only older.

"Y-you…"

"Yes, you and your idiot father did everything I wanted you to. I've implanted every soldier in the army with my snake venom, so now they're under my control!" she laughed as a chunk of skin fell off, revealing scales below. Sophie was the snake goddess.

He should have seen it coming from miles away, Cory HAD lived with her, in fact. Always pranking him and testing his abilities, something snakes were always doing. She was sneaky and devious. She had even cared for a snake at one point. Now, as the skin chipped off of her like lead paint, he saw her true form. Below were green scales covering her entire body. It was like some sick reptile fan art, but it was real.

"No… no you…. My dream…."

"It's dead, mortal. As if you could unite the world for peace," she said, smirking.

Montezuma fell to the ground. His entire life had been a lie. Everything he worked for, all the sweat, blood, and tears he had spent creating this utopia. All for nothing.

"W-why do you want to rule the Earth?" Cory asked, scared.

"You've never craved power? You've never wanted to rise to the top and become the greatest? With power over the entire world, I would be able to create it in my image, becoming the creator of a new world."

"I… I won't… let you!" Cory shouted as he charged at her with his katana. She slid to the ground as a pile of snakes that slithered out of the way, forming back into her.

"You can't even touch me, much less hurt me!"

Cory ran at her again, getting the same results as before. He tried with effort to make a single blow on her, but he couldn't. It was time for her to go on the offensive. She jumped above him and turned into snakes, falling down upon Cory. He instinctively sliced at the snakes, killing a few, but they healed themselves and reformed into Sophie.

"Sophie, please stop!"

"Cory, have you ever had a dream? We are the same, we wish to see a new world born out of the old one. We wish to see our enemies gone, and see our dreams become a reality. You and I are the same."

"NO!" Cory shouted slashing at her, she turned into snakes once more, but Cory sliced down at the snakes, killing a few of them. As she reformed, Sophie hissed at Cory and threw a snake at him. Cory easily cut it down, but it was only a diversion. Another snake flew at him, sinking its venomous teeth into the boy. Cory gasped as he felt the venom enter his system.

"Ha, soon that venom will overwhelm your body and kill you. It works much faster than regular snake venom, while also making it difficult to move while it affects you! You'll be dead within the next ten minutes!"

Cory gasped for air. This was the end, he never would have guessed this was the way he would go: inside an Aztec pyramid in modern day Mexico fighting a snake goddess. He decided he would go out a hero. He entered his seppuku form, the aura around him distorted with the pain he was in. He ran at Sophie with his massive blade. It was so long and girthy that anyone would tremble in fear as they saw it. He slashed at the goddess, slicing at the snakes as he began killing them all.

As Sophie reformed, she was only a head, as she had lost most of her bodies composition, "don't worry, I can heal all the snakes around me, and even attract new snakes!"

The ceiling above her crumbled as the floor began to rise to the top of the pyramid. The air turning feeling as if electricity was flowing through it. Sophie rose off the ground as the people of Tenochtitlan began to fly toward her. The peaceful city was now deserted as everyone flew toward her to form an abomination.

She was massive and in the form of a distorted snake. Her body curled around in a coil, with many snake heads slithering out of her, as if they were trying to escape. The top of her body looked more human, but without arms. Her head coiled backwards, snakes slithering out of her neck, even her eyes had snakes coming out of her. She smiled as she floated above the pyramid in her new form, energy from her massive aura penetrating Cory.

Cory fell to his knees, too weak to fight. Montezuma looked at his city, his entire life. His dream was gone, dead. He now had nothing. 'Titan… father… I have failed you…' He thought as he looked over the ghost town, the shadow of several million snakes covering the city.

He turned to Cory, "Promise me you'll do what you think is right…"

Cory looked at Montezuma weakly, barely able to lift his head, and nodded.

Montezuma nodded and took out his obsidian dagger, while handing Cory an amulet with a skull on it. Cory put it around his neck and watched as Montezuma held the knife above his heart. Cory knew they could have been allies. Montezuma wasn't a bad guy, he was only an opposing force. What would life be like in another world? Would they have teamed up? Cory didn't know, but he knew all this was true as Montezuma Caesar, the benevolent emperor of the Neo Aztecs and a man who worked his entire life to see his dream come to light, plunged his dagger into his heart.

The dagger began to glow, and an energy beam connected to the skull amulet. Cory instantly felt his blood cleanse from the venom, purifying him with the life energy of the righteous king. Cory felt the power of the man as well, feeling the skull amulet break a barrier inside of him.

"Go, defeat the snake goddess…" a voice rang in Cory's head.

He clenched the amulet as he began to float off the ground, wings breaking out from his back as an rainbow aura surrounded him. He drew his sword, causing shockwaves to fly across the entire city. He floated up to the snake goddess, who hissed at him with her awesome might.

The ghost of Michael Jackson and Montezuma appeared behind him. He charged at her as generic Japanese music began to play. He slashes at her with his massive sword. She slashes back at him, snakes raining from the sky. A protective barrier appears around Cory as the snakes land on him, disintegrating all of them to dust.

Cory flies at her once more, slashing at her, she screams as she slowly becomes smaller with each hit, eventually becoming her normal snake self once more. Cory held his sword above his head and pushed down on her, sending her flying into the wreckage of pyramid, destroying the remaining pyramid entirely, and causing the city around it to collapse.

Cory landed next to the body of Montezuma, looking down on the dead man as he reverted back to his normal form. The man lied there motionless, a dagger in his heart. Cory shook him, attempting to awaken him to no avail. He set him down at a hill overlooking the city and walked away, leaving a man with his kingdom.

Newt walked up to Cory followed by Espio, Chris, and Alex in his armor, "we did it, man. We won!"

Cory nodded, regretfully, beginning to walk away with Newt, the rest hanging behind.

"Do you ever wonder if we're fighting the wrong enemy?" Newt asked, hesitantly.

"No, I'm confident that the president is the right person to be in charge," Cory said, not sounding entirely certain.

"Hm," Newt said, "Hey where's Sophie?"

Meanwhile, back in the wreckage, a hand grabbed the body of Sophie. Their hands were covered by gloves that were covered in glowing wires. A red barrier appeared from them and surrounded the snake goddess, seemingly scanning her. He then dropped her as she fell to the ground, all color drained from her.

"I see… I knew something was off with her, especially since I'm a virgin," the president said after being informed about his daughter.

"Yes, I'm sorry sensei…" Cory said regretfully.

"It's ok Cory. I've accepted it."

"What's next, then?"

"We're still working on tracking down Hitler, in the meantime, you're going to be testing out a simulation we have created from the internet experiment technology you tested last year."

"Ah! So what's this simulation?"

"You'll be sent back in time, to our nation's founding."

Cory's eyes went wide.

Cory walked to the basement and into the chamber which would send him back in time.

END OF SEASON 3, IF YOU ARE READING THIS PLEASE HELP I CAN'T STOP.


	44. Farewell, Cory

Woo season 4 (said no one ever). This is mostly a filler season but it will introduce future villains so pay attention you worthless idiots. It will be shorter than the other seasons so don't expect too much. Well without further ado: Cory in the House: Trials of the Earth Season 4.

/

Cory awoke once again, sitting up and hitting his head on the ceiling. He was getting taller. Evolving. He looked over at his shelf, looking at the sonic comic an evil maniac had given him. Next to it sat Bane's mask, which he had ripped from the mans face. He reached over and grabbed his sword, sheathing it. Next, he grabbed his trusty headband, which fit neatly under his hair. Finally, he grabbed his newest accessory: the skull amulet.

He still didn't know what it did, but he knew it could hold the power of one's life force. As usual, Cory was dumb and didn't think in that way.

He walked out of his closet, and down the corridor of the white house. This would be his last day in the white house for a while, so he needed to savour it. He walked straight to Newt's room, knocking on the door. His door opened, revealing his brand new room. It held only a mattress, much smaller than his old room. He crawled out through the small door and dusted the insulation out of his hair. He still wore the robes he received from the last emperors tomb in Iowa, mostly because it was all he had to wear.

"Hey man," Newt said, "you're leaving today?"

Cory nodded, "I can't wait to see what it was like back then!"

Newt looked down, "uh, so before you go, um do you want to hang out man?"

Cory thought for a moment, even though it was a simple question, "yes, but we only have a few hours."

"Awesome sauce!" Newt said as they went to the cafeteria.

They sat down at a table and ate their stale bread. The sounds of dishes clinking could be heard amongst the chatter of voices.

"So what are we doing today?" Cory asked.

They both knew the answer before he even finished the question, and they nodded at each other, knowing what the other was thinking. The boys quickly finished their bread and ran down the stairs and out the door of the white house. They grabbed their motorized scooters and rode off toward the mall.

Ever since the United States went under martial law, the streets had been nearly empty. Cars had been outlawed, except for certain people, and the average person was required to become a part time soldier, unpaid of course. Newt didn't like this much, but he was a patriot so he needed to stay positive.

They arrived at the mall and entered, going up to the long shut down food court. Teenagers tended to still hang out here, but there were far less of them, and they were the edgy ones. As they rode their scooters up the escalator, they saw there were many qt 3.14s surrounding a trash can fire. Most had their heads half shaved.

"So, what's the plan?" Newt asked.

"Hm, maybe we can ask to join them?"

"Good idea, core-man!"

They approached the group, still riding their scooters. Most of the group started laughing as they rode up.

"Um, yo, can we join?"

"What are you doing?" Newt said, pulling Cory aside.

"Pandering to their demographic."

"Let me do it," Newt said, turning to the edgy teen gang, "Um, yo, can we join?"

A girl with long red hair covering half her face spoke up, "Yeah, sure whatever."

Cory and Newt sat down in chairs next to the fire, everyone ignored them.

"So anyway, don't you guys hate this new country? *BEEP*, when are we going to take over and make it a good place and not the *BEEP* hole it is right now?" a girl with a shaved head painted yellow said.

"Yeah, we should start a *BEEP*ing rebellion! ANARCHY!" another chimed in.

Cory began to get angry at this, though most nodded, except for one normal looking girl who stayed silent, looking bored.

The leader noticed, "hey Shikami, what do you think of this plan."

Shikami rolled her eyes, "that sounds like such a drag, why do you even make me come to these things?"

"We make you come because Payne said he wanted you to join his group, and you're going to help us join as well," the leader spoke.

"If I wanted to join the Akatsuki, I'd have joined already," she said, her eyes half closed.

The rest of the group looked at her in shock, "you don't want to destroy the United States government?"

This set Cory over the edge, and he began to shout, "I can't believe what I am hearing! The United States is the greatest country on earth, and everything the president does is for the good of the nation! He is trying to protect us from Hitler, who I have fought personally! He is trying to protect all of you!"

Most of them began to laugh at Cory, Newt turned away embarrassed. Maybe Cory was wrong, maybe these people were right…

Suddenly, the mall cops rode up with their tasers out, "what the *BEEP* are you *BEEP*ing kids doing *BEEP*ing the United *BEEP*ing States government in a *BEEP*ing United States facility! I should *BEEP* each and every one of you for being *BEEP*ing terrorists!"

The group suddenly dispersed, with the exception of Shikami, who sat there looking bored, thinking it was too much effort. Cory and Newt ran away, Newt looking back, concerned for the lazy girl. The mall cops split up and half began to chase the boys. Cory knew that this wouldn't be like the last time they were being chased by cops. This time Chris wouldn't show up, as he was now in the ER for eating too much. They would need to escape on their own, and not be seen as terrorists.

As the cops went for Shikami, their tasers seemed to go straight through her, as if she was invincible. She put her arms behind her head and yawned, standing up and walking away.

Cory and Newt slid down the escalator railing, taking off running when they got to the bottom floor. It was then that it hit Cory.

"OUR SCOOTERS!" Cory shouted, turning around.

Newt pulled him forward, shedding a tear, "we have to leave them…"

Cory screamed as Newt pulled him away.

They managed to escape, the mall cops not being able to fit through the doors with their segways. Cory and Newt stood in the empty parking lot panting. They had done the impossible, they had escaped the grasp of the mall cops… again.

"Good… job man…" Newt managed to say, out of breath.

"Y-you too," Cory said looking back at the building.

"Who are the akatsuki, and who is this 'Payne' guy?" Newt asked Cory.

"I don't know but they're definitely terrorists!" Cory said, shivering at the word.

"Hm," Newt simply said, thinking about what they said.

"Oh no! I'm late!" Cory said, running away. Newt followed him, smiling a bit at his old friend, thinking back to the first day Cory showed up.

Cory and his dad entered the white house with their suitcases, ready to live it up in a new house. Cory dropped to the floor, exhausted from carrying his 5 pound backpack.

"We are here! Are you ready for this Cory?" his dad asked.

"Y-yes I-I'm ready," Cory said in his old stutter, which he had nearly gotten rid of.

"Aw yeeeeeeah! I'm going to cook this entire house!"

"Calm down, Mr. Baxter," the president said, smirking as he approached.

Cory sat up, "wh-who are y-y-you?"

"Oh you don't recognize me? I'm the president."

Cory's eyes went wide and he began to bow down to the president.

"Hahaha Cory, you don't bow to the president!" the chef said, laughing at his son.

"No, it's ok, mr. Baxter."

Cory stood up, dropping his backpack to the floor for his father to carry. A young boy around Cory's age approached.

"Ah Newt, why don't you show Cory to his chambers?" the president suggested.

"Ah man, ok man, I'll do it man," Newt said with his signature style.

The two boys walked down the hall toward where the rooms are.

"So, man, how man, did you man, get man, in the house man?" Newt asked.

"I-I um, m-my dad, h-h-he's the ch-ch-chef."

"Woah man, my dad man, is a senator man."

"W-woah…"

Newt pointed to a small door, "that man, is my room man."

Cory nodded. They continued down the corridor in front of another door, "Man, this man, is your man, room man!"

Cory excitedly opened the door and jumped in, hitting his head on the small ceiling. Newt and him laughed together as the scene faded away.

Back in the present, Cory and Newt arrived at the white house. The president was waiting for them, knowing they would be late.

"Come on, Cory, it's time." the president said dramatically.

Cory turned to Newt, "well it's time for me to go…"

Newt nodded, "I'll see you when you get back."

Cory turned away and put his hand up in a wave, "d-don't change, Newt."

"Don't worry, you'll come back to the same old DC."

Cory nodded and walked away with the president, leaving Newt alone to wonder what it would be like when he got back. It seems that DC is constantly changing, would his promise ring true? Newt closed his eyes, everything would be fine. He walked back to his room.

"Are you ready to go back?" the president asked.

"Yes I am, I am ready to found the United States."

The president opened the door to the lab, where scientists moved out of the way to make room for the massive legend. At the end was a chamber with a wide glass door, held open for Cory himself. He entered the chamber and the door was shut behind him. Slowly, a mechanical hum began to grow louder as steam filled the chamber. As his vision went out, Cory saw the president waving at him, smiling. The door opened once more as the device shut down. Cory was no longer in the house.

"He's gone?" the president asked.

"Yes," a scientist said, "unless someone lets him come back you will never see him again."

"Good, I thought I would be able to train him as my own monster, but it seems he isn't as much of a mindless robot as I thought, that became apparent when he teamed up with the leader of the neo Aztecs, who I specifically said were the enemy."

Dramatic Japanese singing began to play as the scientists nodded, unaware of a man behind them who wanted to watch his best friend leave, only to see him disappear forever. Newt wiped his eyes. He needed to find this Payne guy.


	45. Declaration

Light surrounded Cory as he flew through time. A blue wormhole formed around him while he flew through the years past. Visions of this past were presented as vague outlines painted on the walls. He saw many things. The rise of Hitler from the dead, the bus driver kidnapping him, him meeting Xerath for the first time, the twin towers falling, the rise of Hitler from the art school, Abraham Lincoln making a speech, the rise of the south, and finally the signing of the declaration of independence.

After seeing this last vision, the light turned to an intensity that would blind any mortal, but Cory was ultra powerful and it didn't harm him in the slightest. Cory landed in a very different DC. It was like he was in another dimension! There were no cars and barely were any buildings. Many trees littered the small settlement that was the United States capital. Cory was amazed, was this even DC?

He stumbled as he stood up, exhausted by the short trip through time and not used to the uneven ground. He picked himself up once more and began walking slowly toward a house nearby. He could make out a couple of people near the house and began conversing with them.

"Hey, could you tell me where the capital is?" Cory asked.

"Ain't you a real bushell bubby, nothing much capital here though, captain queernob," the man wearing a farmers clothes said.

"Where is the capital then, mister?"

"Back in the ol' kingdom, lad"

"Oh, ok," Cory said, not understanding. So he decided to start walking north, hoping to find something. He ran through many fields with people working, but still didn't find the capital building. It needed to be close, and he should be able to easily see it due to its scale. Heck, he probably should be able to see the Washington monument from here, but he couldn't.

This confused Cory, where were all the famous landmarks? Where was the capital? Where was the white house? Now he just wanted to go home. Cory sat down on a log and a nearby man began to yell at him. Cory ignored the man, causing him to run up to Cory and pull out a wig and put it on, revealing himself as the man, the legend, the all inclusive master of all things: Mr. John Locke! It turns out, he didn't die in 1702 and was still alive in 1776, but under a different name: John Hancock. He faked his own death so he could live out his life as a different person.

"Get off my wood, kid. I need to get to Philadelphia and I cannot leave until this tree is gone."

"Sorry mr. What's in Philadelphia?" Cory asked, getting off the log.

Locke used his gorilla strength to pick up the log with one hand, "There is a revolutionary meeting there. Say, are you a patriot?"

Cory nodded exhaustively, "I believe in the united states!"

"What is the united states? I mean are you patriotic to the 13 colonies and not to King George III?"

"Um, I don't know what you mean…"

Locke rolled his eyes and got on his horse drawn carriage, "Whatever, I need to get to the meeting so good luck with life."

"Wait! I need to find the capital building!"

"What do you mean, child? There is no capital we are only a colony of England, do you not know anything?"

Cory's mind shattered, there was no United States. This was prehistoric times to him. He felt so alone without the soft reassurance of the red white and blue flag. As the tears began to fall from his eyes, he saw through the salty water covering his face a welcome sight. A flag with red and white stripes and a blue area with a circle of stars in it. What was this mysterious symbol?

"What is that flag?!" Cory asked just as he was about to leave.

"Oh, that is the flag for the 13 colonies, what have you been living under a rock?"

"N-no I'm just um not here."

Locke looked at him like he was crazy.

"U-um can I come with you?"

"No, why would I bring someone like you along?"

"I have a sword and a bandana!" Cory said, pulling out his sword.

"Are you challenging me to a duel, young boy?" Locke said, jumping down with his own sword drawn, "alright, if you beat me I will take you with me."

"Um deal!" Cory said as he took a ready position.

"Hahaha, you think you can beat me with that position? I have never lost a duel, especially not to short children like yourself."

Cory swung his sword at Locke, but it was easily blocked by the man. Locke laughed and swung forward, using fencing tricks to stab forward. This angered Cory so he entered his seppuku form and sliced Locke's sword in half.

"Interesting, are you a witch?"

"N-no I'm Japanese," Cory said, lying.

"Oh, well I guess you can come with me to Philadelphia but I do not have any extra food so good luck with that."

"OK, that's fine."

Locke gave Cory a weird look and jumped onto his carriage, riding off with Cory to the mythical Philadelphia. Cory had only heard stories of that city. Stories of a city entirely filled with Italians. Cory had a prejudice against Italians, so this city was the stuff of his nightmares.

"Um mr, are there a lot of Italians in Philadelphia?"

"I certainly hope not, most people here hate Italians."

"Really?" Cory asked, suddenly liking this new world.

They continued onward for a few hours before Cory began complaining. It was a hot summer day in July, and in addition, he hadn't eaten anything in hours. He began to moan and complain loudly.

"What do you want, kid?" Locke asked, annoyed, "I write a book that is used by the top philosophers of all time, and my reward is listening to the bumbling shrieks of an adolescent male."

"I'm hungry and hot."

"Go get some food, then."

"I don't know how."

Locke once again rolled his eyes and pulled out his rifle out, motioning for Cory to follow him. They began to walk through the woods, searching for something. Cory was extremely confused, but didn't want to say anything. Suddenly, Locke held a finger to his mouth.

"What?" Cory said loudly, scaring away a nearby deer.

Locke sighed, annoyed, and ran away after the deer. Eventually, they returned to the carriage and cooked the deer. They sat around a campfire, Locke looking extremely dead inside.

"So what is the conference in Philadelphia about?"

"We are discussing our next action to overtake England in this war."

"What war?"

"I am almost certain you are braindead or from a remote village in another continent. We are fighting England to become free from their tyranny and taxes."

"Oh! OK."

They began to eat as the campfire sizzled next to them, the sun was now nearly set.

"How much further to Philadelphia?"

"A couple days."

"DAYS? It took me only one day to make it from DC to California."

"Those two places must be only miles apart, young Cory. Although, I have never heard of either of them."

This blew Cory's mind, this man who was immensely smart didn't even know about DC! Maybe Cory was actually smarter than him, Cory could be a philosopher if he wanted to. He smiled to himself at the idea.

"Well anyway, we will need to pass through Baltimore first in order to reach Philadelphia, watch out for smallpox."

"Can do!" Cory said, not knowing what smallpox was.

When morning arrived, they continued onward toward the beacon that was Philadelphia. Cory was confused as to why they couldn't just drive there, but he assumed this was some sort of spiritual journey. Soon enough, they were in Baltimore. The streets were filled with sick people, and not sick in the head like modern day DC, they were physically sick.

"Keep yourself within the carriage and don't let them touch you, smallpox is extremely contagious. I am explaining this to you because you seem to be uneducated on basic facts."

"Can I help them?"

"No, there is nothing you can do for these people, just ignore them."

"But they seem nice and I want to help them."

"Kid, you cannot help them, just forget it."

"I'm going to help them."

"No, if you help them I'm leaving you behind."

"I'm going to go help them."

"For the last time, you can't help them, they are sick and you will only get sick by trying to help them so just forget about it and let us move on!"

"But-"

"No, you imbecile. So far I have dealt with your disgustingly stupid brain, but now you have gone too far. These people have a terminal condition with no cure as of yet, your plan is to go out there and help them, knowing full well that the disease is contagious and that you will also die. Why?"

"Because I want to help them."

"Hang me."

"I'll be right back."

"I'm not letting you back in this carriage and you aren't leaving it either," he said as he quickly tied the boy up.

Cory began to scream as they left the town, fully realising that these people will never be helped by Cory. In reality, Cory had no plan. He didn't even remember his skull amulet that he got from Montezuma, which cured all diseases and nullified all poison, if he even knew that it did that.

They continued onward for a few more days, Locke on the verge of strangling Cory many times on the trail. Eventually they reached their destination: Philadelphia. Cory was happy to see the absence of Italians in the city. He breathed a sigh of relief, he wouldn't have to kill anyone. They arrived at a large building.

"Well, it was fun but now I need to go inside."

"B-but John Hancock, I want to join you!"

"You won't be allowed in there, you are far too annoying."

"Oh please, I need to go into the capitol building!"

"What? This is no capitol, it is just a meeting building we are calling independence hall."

"Please I need to go in!"

"Will you stop talking?"

"Yes."

Locke rolled his eyes and motioned for him to walk in. Inside, many people were sitting in chairs surrounding a table with Thomas Jefferson sitting behind it and George Washington standing behind it. Cory recognized them instantly, running up and bowing down to George Washington.

"Hancock, who is this boy?" Washington asked

John Hancock shrugged.

"Please stop bowing, child."

"But you're my hero, George!"

"Don't bow to your hero, try to become them."

Cory's mind blew. The universe around him froze as his mind achieved another level of consciousness. In reality he fainted. The rest of the people there ignored him, going on with their meeting.

As Cory awoke, they were discussing the document Jefferson had wrote.

"Hm, 'a declaration of the independence of the thirteen colonies'?" Jefferson asked.

"No, we cannot call them colonies, they are ordinances!" James Madison yelled, getting angry at the incompetence of Jefferson.

"Calm down James, he was only speaking out ideas, and an ordinance is not a piece of land," George Washington said.

"I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO CALL IT!" Cory yelled.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

"What is it?" Washington asked.

"The United States of America!"

Silence fell over the room, it was the perfect name. How could these brilliant men be outdone by a young boy such as this, a stupid one at that.

"It… it is perfect…" Jefferson said as he wrote it down, not even calling a vote.

Cory smiled broadly at the convention, showing his perfect white teeth.

"Well… let us sign it then…" Washington said, still surprised.

One by one each of the men walked up and signed the document, each according to their state. When Cory walked up, he didn't see anywhere that DC would be, so he signed his signature as a single dot, since he couldn't write. He put it right under the name Arthur Middleton. That dot can still be seen on the constitution today. The convention took the document to be brought to King George III.

"Well, it turns out you were not useless after all, I misjudged you. What will you do now, child?" Locke asked.

"Hm, well I think I will stick around here, see what happens."

"Good idea, there is a lot you can learn from these men."

"I know, I will soon be a master at life."

"OK, well I need to go now, I will see you some other time, I assume. Regards."

"Yeah, bye."

Cory watched him walk off. At first he thought this new world would be torture to him, but now he was having second thoughts. Now, looking up at the independence hall and the skyline of colonial Philadelphia, Cory knew this would be one great adventure.


	46. Franklin

The sun rose over Philadelphia just as Cory rose from his bed, wide awake from his 12 hour sleep. It had been nearly 4 years since he first arrived in the past, but due to time distortion Cory had only been there for a few months. The world around him seemed like a blur, but every moment was regular speed. It was a peculiar way of living, but Cory got used to it after a while.

Throughout the years, Cory had begun to follow a few of the most well known founding fathers, particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin. They all barely tolerated the annoying kid, but they respected him a little because he seemed to have some sort of psychic powers. He seemed to know a few events before they happened and even predicted the outcome of the war.

Jefferson was extremely smart, but also seemed to have low self esteem. If he wasn't recognized for his actions he seeped into a deep depression. He was credited as the neatest writer in all of America, which Cory disagreed to because he existed.

This contrasted well with Madison's arrogant personality. He always saw himself as correct, and often yelled at people for their incompetence, no matter how small the mistake. Despite this, he was nearly as brilliant as Jefferson and made a mean apple pie.

Though they were both smart, nothing compared to the brilliancy that was Benjamin Franklin. Oftentimes Cory would watch him invent small devices in under 5 minutes. He spoke little, but whatever came from his mouth was nearly poetry. Cory often just followed him around, learning about what went on in his mind.

Now, you may think that since Cory was around these brilliant people, he learned a lot and was a completely different person. On the contrary, he barely listened to what any of them said as he thought he was smarter than them. This was coupled with him knowing a few details on the future, which reinforced this belief. Cory was a lost cause, his character development during the Xerath chronicles was long gone.

Cory was living in a small house loaned to him by Benjamin Franklin due to pity alone. He slept in a small (still bigger than his room in DC) room with a bed and some books. He hadn't touched the books at all and used them mostly as pedestals for his items.

He walked to his window and threw open the curtains, marveling at the magnificent view of the city of philadelphia. Franklin said they would be flying a kite today and that Cory might be able to hold the string! Cory was ecstatic, this world was boring and he needed to have some sort of entertainment. He was a needy man, that Cory.

He walked out into the hallway, which was filled with clocks and other machinery all over the floor. Cory didn't know what any of it did but he knew that Franklin would often just grab parts and stick them together seemingly at random. Cory could do that, of course, if he wanted to. He continued to walk to the kitchen, where Franklin sat tinkering with some sort of compass.

"Hi," Cory said simply.

Franklin nodded to him and went back to his device. For some reason, Franklin didn't have a refrigerator, so Cory had limited options to eat. He eventually got some fruits for breakfast which were not enough. Somehow he had lost no weight, which was understandable because of his diet of stale bread back in his own time. He missed that bread, it seemed like it had been years since he had last eaten that bread. In reality it had been -286 years since he had last had it, but who's counting really?

"Um, when are we going to fly kites?"

Franklin looked up, "we will soon leave, though it may take many days to get to the location."

Cory sighed loudly, "where are we going?"

"New York."

"Oh no, Italians live there!" Cory shouted.

"I understand little of your fear of Italians, but I can assure you that none live there, you will be 'safe' from them."

"Oh, good!" Cory said, getting excited again.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Franklin got up and walked outside. Cory began to follow him as they got onto a carriage outside. Franklin started up a coal engine and the carriage began to move quickly (in comparison to the horse drawn carriages) to the northeast.

The two travelled many days through the nature of the northeast, occasionally stopping to eat and drink at various water sources. Cory complained the entire way there, but luckily Franklin used his brilliant mind to shut the kid up many times, eventually fitting him with a mechanical device that kept his jaw shut.

Soon enough, Cory could see the city of New York on the horizon. Many buildings were within the city, but few were larger than two stories.

"Where are the twin towers?" Cory asked, even stupid for his own time.

Franklin looked at him confused, "whatever do you mean?"

Cory rolled his eyes and ignored him, they probably just moved the towers to another city because they were too tall. They didn't go into the city, instead opting to go to the countryside and wait on a nearby hill. Franklin sat in the grass holding his kite.

Cory was confused by this, "what are we doing?"

"We are waiting for the thunderstorm that is approaching," Franklin said, pointing to the dark clouds to the south.

"It isn't even going to rain!" Cory predicted. Franklin just sat and watched the clouds.

20 minutes later it began to rain, Cory was wrong but didn't admit it. Franklin began to tie a key to the string of the kite, handing it over to Cory.

"Now, all I need you to do, boy, is fly this kite in the air and watch it."

Cory eagerly grabbed the kite as Franklin pulled out a strange canister that looked like a battery. The kite flew high in the strong winds, but Cory's strength device on his arm allowed him to hold onto it tight. Thunder shook the ground and flashes of lightning were seen across the fields and forests. Suddenly, one struck the key and Franklin instantly held the battery to Cory's hand as the electricity flowed through Cory, filling up the battery.

Cory screamed as the electricity burned him, and let go of the kite, it flying away to another world unknown to our own. Presumably. The electrical energy seemed to become one with Cory as he felt himself leaving his own body to a separate consciousness. In reality Cory just passed out for a few minutes because his heart stopped.

"Wh-what happened?" Cory asked as he came back.

"You were dead for a few minutes," Franklin said as he leaned over the boy.

Cory gasped in shock, "I… was…. Dead?" Cory asked, not knowing he could die. Every time before he had been saved by a magical coincidence. The monastery warriors ceasing their attack due to his katana, the chaos emerald saving him from Dr. Eggman many times, a single word saving Cory from the Floridian vampires, the list goes on. But finally, he had succumbed to death.

"Not actually dead, your heart just stopped."

"Oh, nevermind then, who cares about my heart?"

Franklin ignored him and walked over to another hill, not saying anything. Cory followed him through the hills of New York, still in shock from the lightning. Franklin walked up to the hill and pushed on it, revealing a camouflage door hidden in the side of it. Cobwebs covered the walls and dust floated in the air as the two entered the bunker, going down steel stairs into a large cavern filled with technology. Franklin's secret base.

Franklin walked up to one of the terminals and inserted the battery into a slot in the wall. Instantly the entire room lit up and devices turned on. At the far end of the room, a large statue seemed to come to life, smoke floating from the torch in its hand. It was the statue of liberty. The statue of liberty was actually invented by Benjamin Franklin as a giant mech to beat the british, but it wasn't needed as it would be overkill. It now sits below New York until it is repurposed as a lighthouse many years in the future.

Cory gasped in awe as he stared at the symbol of American pride. Cory soluted the statue, showing his respect for the enormous symbol for liberty and justice for all. The head of the statue lights up as it begins to move slowly, an elevator coming down to pick up the two.

"Um I thought Albert Einstein invented light bulbs?" Cory asked, clearly misinformed and talking about Thomas Edison.

"Who? I have not heard of this man, also how do you know the name of the light bulb? I have not released them to the public yet."

"Um, lucky guess?"

"Fair enough, they are light and they do indeed look like bulbs. I plan on releasing the light bulb under a different name after I fake my own death, maybe Tesla or something? I am unsure as of now."

Cory nodded as they approached the elevator. Franklin pulled a lever on the side and the gate shut behind them. Gears cranked as the elevator began to move upward toward the head of the statue. Cory began to feel nauseous due to the immense height of the statue. He walked back toward the edge of the elevator and stared forward, terrified. On the contrary, Franklin leaned over the edge, looking down over his large bunker.

As the elevator reached the top, the face of lady liberty slowly slid up to allow access to the top. Inside, many controls were laid out to control the mech.

"So what are we doing in here?" Cory asked.

"The world is not ready for technology of this kind, what once would be called witchcraft is now called science. The future needs to know about this, but the present cannot. Cory, you will by far outlive me. Please. If the time comes, you must reignite the flame and power this statue. But be warned, it cannot fall into the wrong hands. There are people out there who wish to destroy this nation once and for all. They may be closer to you than you know, but they are still threats nonetheless. I will die someday. There is no escaping that. I will never have children, I know that. Cory, you must be my future. Many people may be rooting for you, make them proud. I definitely will. Cory Baxter, will you take on my legacy?"

"Uh, sure," Cory said, not listening.

Large hangar doors revealed the night sky above them, opening to make way for the mech. The floor below the mech began to rise, bringing it to the surface. Slowly, the city of New York appeared before them as well as the countryside around them. The Statue stood atop liberty island, guarding the coast of the United States, an endless sea ahead of them.

Suddenly, the lights went out in the mech and the entire thing powered down, leaving but a statue behind.

"Hm, must have run out of power. Oh well, I will replace it some other time. Come on, boy, let us go back home," Franklin said, opening a hatch to the bottom of the statue.

Cory followed, wondering why it ran out of power.

His answer was far below, within Franklin's bunker. A man approached the battery and extended his arm to the battery Cory had powered. Using a device on his arm, he was able to absorb the power the battery contained. He drew his arm away as the entire room turned dark. Slowly, a ball of electricity appeared before him out of the device on his arm, lighting up his face.

"Finally, I have discovered pure lightning energy. Yes! Uncorrupted by the pollution of the world. Well... mostly. Still a success… heh… hehehe... heehheheheheheh!" He cried as he walked out of the bunker, illuminated by the moonlight. He was dressed in a dressed up with a tie. His black hair was combed to the side. The device on his arm seemed to be lodged into his skin. He raised his arm to the sky and a bubble surrounded him, causing him to fly away. Jason Stickler, Cory's eternal rival, was back and more powerful than ever.


	47. Madison

The years passed like a blur as Cory progressed in this backwards world. It was now 1787 and the nation was on the verge of dying. Ever since its creation, the United States had been living under the articles of confederation, but now it seemed these articles were failing. Many sections of the articles were revolutionary, but impractical. There needed to be change. So now, in 1787, another meeting of the founding fathers (at least the ones who weren't in France) was called. A meeting to create the constitution of the United States.

Cory entered independence hall once again, 11 years after his original journey. To him, it seemed like it was only a few years, he didn't feel 11 years older. Nonetheless, the gang was all there. At the helm stood George Washington, looking mighty fine in a colonial suit and a wig. Cory wasn't gay, but yeah, George. Next to him sat none other than Thomas Jeff- wait, where was Jefferson? In his place sat James Madison, sitting smug.

Cory was about to confront the man when he saw a familiar face sitting in the back corner.

"Hancock!" Cory shouted as he approached the man.

"Shh, no I do not go by that name anymore," he said in hushed tones, "Hancock *wink* is sickly ill in his manor."

"Ah! So who are you now?" Cory asked, curious.

"I am John Lansing Jr of the great state of New York, at your service lad."

"Woah, I went to New York a few months ago!"

"Really? I have not seen you there, that is indeed strange."

"Oh, maybe it was longer, anyway where is Tom?"

"Tom? What? Oh Thomas Jefferson? He is in France. He will be mad when he gets back, but this needed to be done."

Cory nodded, just agreeing with the man. George Washington called the meeting to order and Cory sat down in the front row. John Madison turned to look at him and gave him a weird look.

"Whatever reason is this boy doing here? He did nothing for the last meeting and has no reason to be here," Madison said, waving his quill around.

"On the contrary, my friend, he is the one who named this great country, lest you forget," Washington said, privately.

"Whatever, just do not mess my caligraphy up, boy."

"I call this meeting to order, the writing of the constitution of the United States will commence, I am George Washington of Virginia next to James Madison, our scribe."

"I prefer the term 'decorative calligrapher' thank you very much."

"That's enough Madison, let us begin, first issue…"

Cory began to fall asleep. Politics were not his strong suit and he didn't see any problem in the current government. Sure the world around him was falling apart, but at least there was order, in a way. The sounds of these men's voices bored him to death. No. He couldn't fall asleep in front of the mighty George Washington! He needed to stay strong. The voices went on and on, every one turning into a single tone. This tone played at a constant frequency in his head, repeating on to infinity.

He fell asleep and no one even noticed, the meeting went on without the boy.

"...type of leader in charge?" Washington's voice pierced the boys dreams.

"The United States should have a president that is checked by both an Judicial and Legislative branch who each have checks for each other. The president should be more of a figurehead and less of a king in order to prevent the complete domination of the nation," Cory said, his patriotic brainwashing breaking through for a the only conscious sentence he had ever stated.

Everyone was taken aback. Once again, this boy had stated what everyone was thinking. Even Washington was shocked, "...write it down, Madison."

Reluctantly, Madison wrote that down, and thus created the constitution.

One by one the people of the convention went up to write their signatures on the paper. This time, though, it would need to be ratified by at least nine states in order to pass. They would need to wait in order to put this into practice.

After the meeting, Cory began walking back to Ben Franklin's house when a hand grabbed him from behind and turned him around.

"What do you think you are doing making us all look illiterate, boy! WE are the founding fathers, WE know what is best!" James Madison said, noticeably angry.

"I just knew what you were going to write down, sir. It is what would happen!"

Madison rolled his eyes, "you are just like my worthless son."

"Oh, you have a son can I meet him?"

"No you-" then a brilliant idea came to Madison, "Actually yes, come with me and I'll take you to my home."

So the two travelled back to the world of Virginia to the manor of James Madison. It was a brown brick building with many white columns in front of it. As they approached the building, a woman approached them and walked beside them.

"Status?" she asked.

"Finalized, in circulation."

"Excellent. Next plan?"

"Rehabilitate son with boy."

"Sounds good."

"Why are you guys talking like that?" Cory asked. They stopped walking and stared at him.

"Must you ruin everything? That was swell!" Madison yelled.

"OK, where is your son?"

"Probably in a trench passed out drunk."

"What is drunk?"

Madison rolled his eyes and continued walking, his wife following just behind and Cory trailing behind further.

They approached the house and entered the fields behind where many people were working. They searched for a few hours until they found the man sitting by a creek passed out.

"Here's my son, kid now fix him," with that, he left.

"Um… Madison's son… wake up…" Cory said, shaking the man.

"I'm already awake… I just didn't want to talk to him…" the man said, staring down on the creek.

"Why not? He's your dad! My dad was great he-"

"He is not my father."

"Oh um why not?"

The man turned to Cory, "you wouldn't understand my pain."

Cory gasped. Pain. Payne. "Is your name Payne?"

"It might as well be. It is my birth last name, but of course my fake father had to give me his name when my mother remarried."

Cory began to back away, "you're dangerous, you are a terrorist."

"I have no desire to do anything, I just want death now. Release from this pain."

Cory sighed, of course this wasn't the same person. Payne stood up, his long hair falling onto his face.

"You really want to hear my pain, kid? It won't be easy."

"Um I-I will listen, Payne," Cory said, still feeling like he was talking to the enemy.

Payne waved his hand, telling Cory to follow.

"I was born many years ago in a small house in the country. My father and brother were hardworking and strong, great role models. But that only added to the pain. Long story short, they died. Yellow fever stole their lives away and took with it my childhood innocence. We struggled for many years on the streets until one day, one horrible day, HE came along. I protected my mother for many years and helped her along the way. Nobody else. Me. Then he came along and stole my mother away. I was useless. He hated me, didn't even give me the chance. Stole my mother. Ruined my life. I am now stuck forever in this life of false luxury, acting as if I was a sick drunk, living in constant punishment."

"B-but it can't be that bad…"

"You wouldn't understand, kid."

"M-my dad died too, was murdered actually."

"Hm," he simply said, continuing to walk through the gardens.

"Wait," Cory said, suddenly remembering something, "your father- fake father just helped pass a new form of government! It isn't that bad!"

Payne stopped and turned around, "You really think a simple paper will fix this world? Look around you," he pointed to the slaves in the field, "this world is corrupt, and there is no way to cure it of its darkness."

Darkness. Did he know?

Payne began walking again, sighing, "Not everyone is made of darkness, I know that is true. Good can be done, even by rulers." he closed his eyes and turned to Cory, suddenly looking more like a prophet than a drunk loser, "Though there is so much fundamentally broken about our world, that even the average person is corrupted on a spiritual level by the darkness of their leaders."

Cory began to think, he needed to win this debate and this man- this monster, was the one who was doing all the talking, "B-but look at George Washington! He is a good person!"

Payne shook his head, gesturing once again to the slaves, "Not even the Romans had slaves like these. George Washington is a facade of lies that is a figurehead for government. We are supposed to worship the man because of what he has done."

"We should worship him! He is a hero!"

"You are too far gone to save. Not even he would condone worshipping leaders. Tell me, why do you have so much trust in our government?"

"I trust the United States because it keeps us safe!"

"Safe from what?"

Cory had to think for a second, "Outside countries!"

"But if the United States did not exist, then no one would target it."

Cory wouldn't let him win, he had to prove that Payne wasn't as intelligent as he appeared. He was about to speak, when the man began to talk once more, "but what do I know? Why do my morals transcend others? This… darkness, it isn't real, at least I don't think. Just an explanation of the evils of humanity."

Cory couldn't take this anymore, "But the darkness is real! The darkness is the rival of the Egyptian god Kek, who is the light in this world! The darkness corrupts people and turns them even worse. The United States isn't corrupted! Darkness is not here!"

Payne rolled his eyes, but began to ponder. He remembered reading a book before by an Egyptian priest who claimed to be Thoth, the god of knowledge. The book claimed that a god known as Zaluut, who was the rival of Kek. When he read it, he assumed it was just another urban myth, a false story written in modern times, but now this boy was repeating the same story, but using a different term for the god. He decided to press on.

"Does the name Zaluut ring a bell to you?" Payne asked.

Cory began to think, but couldn't think of anything related to that, "nope."

"Hm," Payne said, continuing to walk onward to nowhere in particular. Cory got bored of this seemingly incoherent man and walked away without saying another word.

Cory returned back to his home in Philadelphia later that day. Ben Franklin had left for Paris so now he was alone. He didn't think about Payne or anything that happened today because that man was wrong. Cory held onto his beliefs. He stayed strong. Soon George Washington will be president and the country will become orderly. Payne will soon be proven wrong.

"How sad," Payne reminisced back in Madison's manor, "The boy is completely brainwashed into thinking he's some sort of hero."

Payne walked into his room and rummaged through his books until he discovered the one he was searching for, 'Thoth's book of truths and spells.' Dramatic music begins to play as Payne flips through the pages, searching for answers. As if by fate, he stops on the page labelled 'six paths of pain.'

He took a deep breath, "If I'm going to do this, if I'm going to make a difference…" He grabbed his book and put it into a sack along with clothes and other necessities. As if he had any other choice. This was his destiny. He would bring light to this world. No matter how much pain it brought him.


	48. Washington

It began with the whistle of the wind and the firing of artillery. The bangs of the ships off the coast echoed across the city of New York, creating a mood of suspense. In the months past, The constitution was finally ratified after Cory forced New Hampshire to sign onto it, solidifying it into the United States. Now, a new leader would be taking the helm and guiding this country into greatness. This man now stood within an office, wearing a fancy brown coat. It was unlike something a king would wear, but that was the point. Buttons flowed down the front of it, opening at the waist to revealing the pants underneath.

Bells began to ring across the New York buildings, signalling the coming. They began, fighting for dominance at first until the tones aligned much like the stars, creating a tone that would send even Vladimir Putin to tears. They bells rang for half an hour, cementing their grasp on the people currently in the city. It felt strange in their absence, as if they should always be there.

The stage coach ran down the roads of New York, arriving finally at Federal hall, their destination. Out of the car stepped out Cory along with another aid, accompanying George Washington, the pseudo emperor of the United States. Greeting them were soldiers of the United States military, at arms and ready to protect.

The three men entered the building and proceeded into the senate chamber. At the front of the hall stood John Adams, Cory's best friend (one way friendship) in this backwards world. He held the book. Cory sat down in the front row, where a seat was saved for him and Mario, George's Italian aid. Unsurprisingly, Cory hated Mario. He didn't understand why George even had a subhuman on his committee. Nevertheless, Cory kept his thoughts to himself.

George proceeded to the stage, walking up to the pedestal where Adams stood. The two nodded, acknowledging each other, and George reached his hand out and placed it atop the book.

"George Washington, general of the United States army and the one who cut the cherry tree down. I have been chosen unanimously to swear you into office. The road ahead of us is rough and full of pitfalls. We will need a man fit for a ruler in order to guide us through these troubled times. We will need a man who is willing to stand up for what he believes and one who has the guts to become more than a man. We need a man who is brave and strong, one who sees the value of even a slave. We need a man like you, Washington. Do you, George Washington of Virginia, take up this responsibility?" Adams stated.

"I do."

"Do you swear to uphold the laws, even in the most dire of times?"

"I do."

"Do you, as president, uphold the legion. Do you forgive, do you forget?"

"I do."

"Will you take this mantle of presidency?"

"I will." With that, George held up the book to thunderous applause. The first president of the United States had arrived. The entire audience calmed down as George walked up to the podium to give his speech. Adams left to sit down in the audience as they waited in anticipation for the president to speak.

"People of the United States. I stand before you as your first president. I am not a king, and I am not a ruler. I am one of you. I walk among you, I walk beside you, I even walk behind you sometimes. I am nothing more than human. This country- these United States, we must protect them. The corrupt fear us, the honest support us, but the heroic, they join us. We share the collective idea of freedom worldwide, we are the people. The tendency to relate past events to what is possible in the current geopolitical environment becomes difficult in the present. We shall restore the working man to his rightful glory. We will dismantle the society before us board by board. We will saw the tables of tyranny in half, gnaw at the ankles of monarchies.

"Comrades, it is in strenuous circumstances that we are today celebrating the outcome of the Revolution. The perfidious attack of the British and the war which has been forced upon us have created a threat to our country. The enemy reckoned that after the very first blow our army would be dispersed, and our country would be forced to her knees. But the enemy gravely miscalculated. In spite of temporary reverses, our Army and Navy have heroically repulsed the enemy's attacks along the entire front and inflicted heavy losses upon them, while our country—our entire country—has organized itself into one fighting camp in order, together with our Army and our Navy, to encompass the rout of the British, fending them off and protecting our freedom.

"Comrades, men of the American Army and American Navy, commanders and political instructors, men guerillas, the whole world is looking to you as the force capable of destroying the plundering hordes of British invaders. The enslaved peoples of Europe who have fallen under the yoke of the British invaders look to you as their liberators. A great liberating mission has fallen to your lot. Be worthy of this mission! The war you are waging is a war of liberation, a just war. Let the manly images of our great ancestors—Khufu, Rameses, Rameses II, Rameses III, Rameses IV, and Dante—inspire you in this war! May the victorious banner of the great Caesar be your lodestar!"

A thunderous applause roared through the audience, the entire building shook. Bells rung outside the hall, adding music the the entire world. George Washington had just become president. Not just president though, the first president. Today would mark a new era in history. An era of order and subsistence.

Cory sat there in tears, wiping his nose on Mario's sleeve. He had witnessed a hero become a god, and it was beautiful. His eyes puffed up from the tears as George walked out of the hall, followed by Cory and Mario as well as soldiers. They travelled to the mansion that would act as the white house. Despite Cory's objections that they needed to go to Washington DC, nobody listened because they didn't know where that was.

They pulled up to the building and entered. George Washington sat down in the president's chair which overlooked the city of New York. He smiled.

"Cory, do you know what has happened today?"

"Y-yes, you have become president!"

"Wrong, that is a byproduct of what has happened! Today, the United States has been freed. We are no longer British. We are American." A bald eagle flew past the window behind George, showing the United States had begun.

Cory looked out upon the horizon. The endless sea that was the Atlantic ocean. On the horizon sat a ship, slowly approaching the shore. Cory squinted his eyes at the ship and saw other ships in tow. The flag had a J on it. Oh no…

A cannonball flew toward the city and smashed into a building. It was Jefferson… He had returned from France, and it didn't look like he was happy.


	49. Jefferson Part I

Newt stared down from atop a building in washington DC. He looked upon the obelisk before him, the Washington monument, the symbol of old America. Most of DC was gathered in front of the spire, cheering at some event happening before him. Newt closed his eyes at this, how horrible. As the sun set, the cheers erupted as a single flame grew from the ground, flowing upwards toward the sky. The president looked at the flame with awe and set down his lighter, turning to the crowd.

Newt turned away from the scene, closing his eyes. It didn't matter what the president had to say, this was the end of his trust for the United States government. The people of this nation were brainwashed, lacking all self control. They were puppets of the institution.

A single tear fell from his face, "...goodbye, Naruto…" said the boy to his master as he walked away from the burning flame.

Ever since Cory had left, Newt had been on the fence about the United States government. He saw their betrayal of his best friend, sending him to his doom in the past, but also did not want to disappoint his other friends. Everyone he knew and loved were here at the white house, and nobody questioned the president's decisions, so why should he? Though now he had a reason.

Newt remembered that day vividly. He was out training with Naruto in the fields near DC. The birds were singing, the breeze blew the grass down, creating a satisfying effect. They were trying out new ninja techniques when Naruto suddenly stopped.

"Newt, you need to hide, NOW." Naruto said quietly as he pushed him away.

Newt obeyed and ran off into the thick bushes nearby, confused. Suddenly a helicopter appeared and many officers in suits jumped down before Naruto. They surrounded him in a circle, all holding tasers.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you are under arrest for illegal practice of martial arts. Handcuff him boys." A man in a white suit said as the crowd parted around him. This was agent Glacial, head of the CIA. Notorious for silencing the martial artists of America. They say he single handedly bombed all the karate dojos in America with a single trigger, effectively ending karate forever. It looks like they finally caught up to the master ninja.

The officers cuffed him and began laughing at him, degrading him and calling him the savior of ninjas. Newt began to cry as he watched his master taken away. He couldn't stop them.

3 weeks later, Newt watched the court case from the back row. The judge didn't see why he was guilty, but needed to pledge him guilty in order to please his superiors. Naruto walked out as Glacial began to laugh with the audience.

And that brings us to where we are now, with Newt running for the mall. He needed to find Shikami and learn more about Payne.

300 years earlier, Cory watched as cannonballs flew through the windows of Washington's presidential house.

"Cory, lad, we need to get down there and talk some sense into old Jefferson! I'm sure he will see it our way!" Washington shouted over the breaking glass.

"Good idea, we can go now!" Cory yelled as he jumped up and ran away from Washington.

"Wait, Cory, we need a plan before we can do this!"

Cory stopped, "oh yeah…"

George Washington began to think.

"We are outnumbered 2 to possibly 100…" A 3d holographic map of New York appeared within the president's head, "Though the soldiers are likely untrained and full of fatigue due to the journey here. Moral will be low. If we could somehow set fire to one of the ships, it is likely the people from every boat will jump ship and go to shore. Of course, due to his honor, Jefferson will stay aboard the ship he is in. Hm, but which boat is he in? There are 5 boats, each identical. Hm." George looked out at the five ships analyzing every detail. Jefferson would know Washington would think of this.

"We need to get Jefferson onto the main deck of the ship, but we need to do it without setting fire to the other vessels, because of the chance Jefferson is on the ship. Hm… I got it!"

Cory walked down the street, ducking behind walls everytime a cannonball flew overhead. He was headed toward the shore, ready to follow through with the plan of George Washington.

Meanwhile, Jefferson stood below deck on his ship, laughing at his foolproof plan.

"How dare they hire that incompetent bastard Madison to write the constitution. They surely could have waited for me to return from France. Dismantling this country and starting anew is the only option here." Of course, Jefferson really hadn't thought this through.

Suddenly, screams erupted on the top deck and a metallic screeching could be heard. Jefferson sighed and put on a simple sailor hat. He knew they wouldn't fight back if they knew he was on the ship so he needed to disguise himself. As he walked on deck he nearly fell over backwards as he saw the statue of liberty slowly moving closer.

"Quickly get this ship back and away from the statue!" He shouted.

One of the five ships erupted into flames just as he said that. The crew screamed and began to jump ship.

"Fools! That's exactly what they want you t-" Jefferson stopped and turned to the figure who had just boarded the ship.

"End of the line, this is where your treason ends." Washington said as he walked out of the shadows.

"Dang you and your horrendous mind! Even my disguise didn't fool you!"

"Silly Jefferson, your disguise worked perfectly, but your mannerisms were completely different from these soldiers. You've likely eaten much more, and you exhibit much less fatigue than the rest of the crew. Maybe putting more work in would have solved your issue better."

Jefferson drew his sword, "Still, it was this confrontation that I was looking forward to! En guarde!"

Jefferson stuck his sword out in a fencing stance, ready to fight the president.

"I have failed you, Jefferson."

"I should have known you were planning on taking over!" Jefferson shouted.

"From the British! Jefferson, Madison is good!"

"From your point of view! From my point of view America is evil!"

"Well, then you are lost."

"This is the end of you, my president. I wish it were otherwise."

Waves begin to form around the ship as a storm begins to brew. They begin to swing their sabers at each other, clanging noises ring across the sea. A barrel flies off of one of the nearby ships and ignites, spilling oil over the ocean and setting fire to it. The sea of fire around them begins to consume the ship.

Distracted by their saber duel, the two begin to jump up toward the helm, slashing and stabbing forward to try to gain an advantage over the other. Seeing the fire rise toward them, the two jump atop the scaffolding toward the mast and begin to fight while hanging on for dear life.

Washington jumps atop the crows nest, "it's over, Jefferson, I have the high ground!"

"Then you underestimate my power!" Lightning strike as Jefferson jumps towards the crows nest, fire consuming the ropes below him. Washington braces himself for the strike, ready to counter the blow. But the blow never comes.

Jefferson disappeared, leaving no trace behind him. Washington stood dumbfounded as the rain soaked the ship, putting out most of the fire. He jumped down and out of the boat as its charred skeleton began to crumble.

"Did you see what happened?" Washington asked as Cory hopped out of the statue of liberty mech.

"I saw someone swoop down and grab Jefferson from the sky!"

"No need for vague metaphors. Did he actually die?"

"No it wasn't a meta-" An electric sound filled the air as a sick heavy metal bassline began to play.

Lightning silhouettes a building nearby revealing a man with long greasy hair and an electric guitar. It was Jefferson.

"Not so fast Washington. In order to win America you know we will need to do a battle of the bands!"


	50. Jefferson Part II

Newt walked into the mall and up the stairs into the food court. He needed to find that girl, Shikami. It would be the only way to discover the location of Payne. Eyes seemed to follow him from the many people who now called this place home, water dripped from the ceiling.

He walked toward the only place he thought she might be, the women's bathroom. It was a risk, but to avenge his master there wouldn't be a problem. He opened the door, only to fall over tripwire and onto the dirty floor. He got up slowly but as soon as he stood he noticed he couldn't move.

"Gotcha."

Newt looked over and saw Shikami staring at him. It had been nearly 4 years since they had met before and he could definitely tell those years had changed her…

"Stop staring at me like that or I'll just kill you."

"Oh, I'm sorry... "

"This is such a drag. Just explain why you're here."

"I wish to find Payne."

Shikami rolled her beautiful eyes, "Like you're good enough to meet Payne. Why do you even want to meet him?"

"Ugh if I explain the whole story will you take me to him?"

"Possibly."

Newt took that as a yes and began to tell her the story about what happened. He told her how the president had sent Cory back in time in order to get rid of him and how Naruto had been taken by the government. He didn't want to cry in front of her so he left out his fate.

"Wait, so you know the president personally?"

"Yeah, I know it's 'a drag' but-"

"No, that's actually perfect, Payne would love to meet you. Also do you know what happened to Naruto? My dad was friends with him and I knew his son."

Newt looked down.

Shikami frowned, "I understand. Here I'll let you go."

Newt's muscles returned to his control and he fell forward onto Shikami, his hands landing on her chest.

"Get off of me you pervert, this isn't some harem anime!" She kicked him off and he flew backwards.

"Sorry, I've been trying to get better with my motor skills, only recently have I realised that years of being surrounded by idiots had made me one."

"You'll be an idiot for the rest of your life, pervert. Now come on let's go."

Newt followed Shikami out of the bathroom and into DC.

Jefferson played a few cords and swung his sloppy hair everywhere, "Not so fast Washington. In order to win America you know we will need to do a battle of the bands!"

"Quit this tomfoolery, Jefferson, I have won!" Washington shouted.

"Not quite, Washington. Before I arrived I mailed Madison an insult to his music skills and caused him to write another passage in the constitution, something like "America can be taken over if it is beaten during a battle of the bands!"

"No way, Madison isn't that stupi-," Washington cut himself off, "I see your point."

"So what will it be, Washington? Will you battle me and my sick future instrument or will you forfeit the country?"

"Wherever did you receive such an instrument?"

"You'll have to win to find out, Washington!"

Washington clutched his bugle and jumped to the top of a nearby building, "I shall not lose!"

"Lord Washington, I can play a sick drum!" Cory shouted.

"Don't call me lord, son. Do whatever you want I'll need all the help I can get!"

"I go first, President!" Jefferson shouted. His backups began to play an intoxicating tune, filling the air with a mysterious vibe, Jefferson began to sing with a heavenly voice.

"There are no strangers to love…"

Cory perked up, recognizing this song. It was created by a Xerath who went by the code name 'Rick Astley.' How did Jefferson know this song?

"You know the rules, and so. Do. I."

Washington turned to Cory with a look of worry, how would they top this?

"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you."

Washington readied his bugle, Cory found a nearby drum set and sat behind it. Ready. Madison appeared and lifted his flute. They were ready for anything.

As Jefferson ended his song, a patriotic tune flowed from the rooftops. At this point a crowd had formed below who were cheering and shouting.

Cory opened his mouth and began to sing in a scratchy voice, "Yankee doodle went to town, riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni!" Cory began to laugh at this, "Yankee doodle keep it up, yankee doodle dandy mind the music and the step and with the girls be handy!"

The crowd looked up confused at the song choice, but began to dance merrily as the chorus began. Jefferson looked over the street with solemn eyes, he had chosen the wrong song.

"Father and I went down to camp, along with captain Goodling, there we saw the men and boys, as thick as hasty pudding! Yankee doodle keep it up, yankee doodle dandy, mind the music and the step and with the girls be handy."

The crowd began to cheer at the timeless tune, but were interrupted by a heavy metal guitar.

"We've always been this to feel all this pain, we've only been this to feel all this pain." Jefferson said before shouting for the entirety of America to hear.

"PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINNNNNNNNNN!"

"THIS PAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIINNNNNNN!'

A blur of lyrics assaulted the world as Jefferson began to play the chaotic second opening to death note. Cory, being an anime connoisseur, knew about this song. Suddenly the music stopped and Jefferson began to chant.

"Hey hey ningen sanka, ai ningen ningen fuan ka? Hey hey ningen sanka, ai ningen ningen fuan ka? Hey hey ningen sanka, ai ningen ningen fuan ka…"

"Lord Washington we need to stop them or they'll deafen the entirety of New York and we'll lose!" Cory shouted over the slowly building chant.

"I know, Cory. I'm trying to think… do you know any songs louder than this? I've figured out enough about you to know that you are, in fact, a time traveller."

Cory screeched, having been exposed, "Um, yes I know of one, but we will need to be perfect."

A slow piano melody began to play from Washington's roof, drowning out the sounds of Jefferson. They had done it. Now they just had to finish it!

Cory stepped up and a spotlight fell upon him, all eyes were on Cory, "The winner takes all…"

The audience gasped at the sheer beauty of the song. Some even fainted.

"It's the thrill of one more kill…"

"We need to stop him!" Jefferson said to his minions, who started going toward the roof.

"The last one to fall…"

Jefferson pointed dramatically at Washington's rooftop as an angry swarm of his soldiers began to climb it.

"Will never sacrifice their will."

The swarm reached the roof, but were greeted with the entire cast of the founding fathers with brand new instruments created by Ben Franklin.

"Don't ever look back,"

Madison kicked a few off while playing his piano.

"On the wind closing in,"

Franklin swung his guitar around as he played it, knocking more soldiers off.

"The only attack,"

Washington fell to his knees and played his trumpet so loud that the soldiers began to fall.

"Were their wings on the wind,"

John Locke appeared and knocked a few down using his books.

"Oh the daydream begins!"

He gives Cory a thumbs up and jumps down into the crowd.

Together the founding fathers begin to sing, "and it's sweet, sweet, sweet sweet victory,

YEAH!"

The 'yeah' knocks the rest of the soldiers off, leaving only one band.

"And it's ours for the taking, it's our for the FIGHT!"

"In the sweet, sweet, sweet sweet victory, YEAH!"

"And the world will last the fall!"

Jefferson, furious, dives for the roof, but is stopped by Locke.

"The winner takes all!"

A mysterious figure flies down behind Locke.

"You don't win no silver!"

"You only lose the gold, you push with a fever!"

Cory gasps.

"For your time keeps tolling on!"

The figure produces a snake that pierces through Locke with his fangs.

"Against all the odds, against all the pain,"

Cory jumps across the roof and catches Locke before he falls, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Your back's on the wall, with no one to blame!"

Locke gives a farewell smile as his eyes go blank.

"Wild hearts won't be tamed!"

Cory closes his eyes and looks up at the figure as sweet victory fades into background noise. Before his stood Stickler with his mechanical arm device.

"Hey Cory, long time no see!"

"S-Stickler… why?"

"He was suspected as the identity of Payne, the CIA sent me back here to exterminate him."

"H-he isn't Payne…" Cory got up and put his headband on.

"Cory what are you doing? What do you mean he isn't Payne?"

"HE ISN'T PAYNE!" Cory unsheathed his katana and swung it at Stickler, who jumped back.

"No matter, he would have died soon anyways."

Cory slashed once more at Stickler, "THAT ISN'T THE POINT!"

Stickler dodged once again, "Cory, do you know who Payne is?!"

"I'm not telling a traitor who he is. You have abandoned this country," Cory said as he stood back.

"Cory, this isn't a game. I need to stop Payne!"

"Too bad, I will stop Payne myself." Cory entered his seppuku form as energy resinated around him.

Stickler backed away as his power sensors overloaded. He activated his pure lightning energy shield and ran at Cory, throwing snakes at the boy. Cory dodged the snakes and teleported behind Stickler and slashed at him, only to knock both of them back from the powers colliding.

"Cory, you know you can't beat me. I have the powers of everyone you've ever killed and more!" Stickler said as black tentacles shot out of him and flew towards the chosen one. Cory sliced them as the came and dodged out of the way. He looked down at his arm to see a bloody wound, but it instantly healed itself.

"What do you mean?!"

"Haha you haven't seen me then! I've been following you for the past year using this arm to replicate the powers of everything you've fought!"

"EVEN THE CHEF?"

"Ha you're funny! As if I would copy the powers of someone as useless as him."

"You don't have my powers, though!"

"Cory, my suit can't even handle that much power in its current state. Copying your powers would be suicide."

"Hm, then I can beat you!"

"Nope, see ya." Stickler said, giving a peace sign as he shot another barrage of tentacles at Cory. He flew away as Cory gasped and passed out.

"Cory, just wake up, I'm sick of waiting," the voice of Montezuma rang over his body.

Cory sat up to see the ghosts of Montezuma, Michael Jackson, and Locke.

"Hi," Michael said, waving.

"H-hi what are you guys doing here?"

"Well you can't seem to figure out what that necklace I gave you does so I came to just tell you," Montezuma said, annoyed.

"This useless skull thing?" Cory asked.

Montezuma facepalmed, "Unbelievable."

"Maybe you should just tell him what it does, um what was your name?" Locke asked, new to this.

"Ugh. I am Montezuma Caesar, former ruler of the Neo Aztecs!"

"Oh, but Caesar was Roma-"

"I know. Ok Cory I'm just going to tell you because you seem to have such a low IQ that nobody can help you. The necklace holds the souls of those close to you that have died. Michael, Me and Locke seem to be inside it now, but you know if you want to go on a killing spree I suppose it would fill up quickly…"

"I don't want to do that!" Cory shouted.

"OK OK, calm down. So basically we can work together to heal you while we are in the necklace. Of course it has limits and us taking this physical form drains our energy immensely, but it'll be useful in the upcoming battle. Now can I try to convince you to abandon the United State yet?"

"No, of course not!"

"Well it was worth a shot. Cory take the right path and don't look back. You'll do great things."

Montezuma soluted and disappeared.

"Cory." Michael stepped forward, "I hope to see you again soon."

Michael disappeared.

Locke stepped forward, "You have done good for this country, Cory. Remember though, if things get too bad, don't stay on the side of the country. You'll need to recognize good and evil in order to win this war. Don't let me die in vain."

Locke disappeared, leaving Cory alone.

Three months later, Cory walked alone in West Virginia. Things had turned well since the battle with Stickler. Jefferson was officially forgiven after begging Washington for days. He might even be president one day. The rest of the founding father were also well.

Cory had been a wanderer since the battle of the bands. Nothing interested him here anymore, he just wanted to go home. It was then that he fell into nothingness and awoke in a destroyed and abandoned lab. He was back.

That's the end of season 4. This marks the end of the childhood story, now we go onward to the fall of DC story, hope to see you then.


End file.
